Maternity

Carly, Matt & Maeva first came to see me during my Limited Edition Christmas Truck sessions last November and they had a big announcement to make . . . Maeva was going to be a big sister!

Hillary and Matt are excitedly awaiting their first baby and they were eager to document this milestone in their lives. They were searching for classic, traditional maternity photos and they wanted a studio session, so we secured The Lightbox Studio in Annapolis, Maryland.

When Heather, Adam and Addison joined me at Downs Park in Pasadena, Maryland on a September evening, the weather was gorgeous, the park was quiet and Addison brought all of her energy! We met up to capture maternity photos for their second little one, who is due to join us late October . . .

The first time Jen and Will visited John Downs Memorial Park in Pasadena, Maryland was for their maternity photos with me, in January of 2021. Now, Downs Park is a place they enjoy frequently. Isla, (who is still a firecracker!), takes them on baby led hikes, enjoys the playground (a lot) and is definitely a beach baby.

For sweet baby sister’s maternity photo session, we explored the meadows, enjoyed the natural beauty of Downs Park and played in the sand . . .

I have been blessed to call Meredith a friend for a long time, and even though we sometimes go months without catching up with one another, every time we talk, I find out more and more how grateful I am that she is a part of my life. I’ve watched this woman handle both life’s struggles and triumphs with such grace. She shows leadership and intelligence in every interaction. I feel so fortunate that I’ve been able to be a witness to both the hard times and the joy in her life. So when she sent me a message this summer that she was due with a baby girl in September, I was both excited and honored that she asked me to capture some moments of her family before they became a family of 4, plus 2 doggies (who were their first babies).

Jen & Will are an incredibly sweet couple, dedicated to each other, to their work and to this new baby that they are bringing into this world. They met in Monterey, California, in Calculus class while attending Naval Postgraduate School, which they laugh about after being married for 8 years. But as anyone who has lived the military life can tell you, being married for 8 years does not mean being together for that long. There has been a lot of long distance, long drives home for the weekend while living in an RV in Norfolk (for Jen), and just generally making it work the Navy way.

Kandace has to be one of the sweetest women I know and I feel so blessed to have met her a little over a year ago at a mom’s night out. When we made some time to hang out this summer, I was absolutely delighted when Kandace told me that she was pregnant with her second. And then I was more than honored and elated when she asked if I would consider doing her birth photography . . .

I’ve done some location scouting in my area. It starts with an internet search, creating a list, driving around to attempt to check out parks during golden hour, even doing some self portraits at these locations to test them out. I’m always looking for places with beautiful backgrounds, not too crowded and yet not too difficult to access. And yet, the truth is that my favorite location is the one that my client suggests.

Emily and I met while I was working for the Navy in Norfolk, Virginia. She was a Lieutenant in the Navy and a project manager when I met her, which meant she worked long, hard hours and, though I had met her briefly, I didn’t see much of her for several months. Things changed when we were both relocated to a new department and when I had to choose where to sit in a room of empty cubicles, I picked the seat right next to hers. (I’m an introvert, but a social one; I don’t like to be alone.) I am almost certain that her first thought was what is this chick thinking, she’s totally invading my space. However, we bounded over several mutual interests, including good books, a love of dogs and a distaste for being bored.