Hyde Park Family Session – Sanchez Family

There’s nothing I love more than meeting up with my families again, and I’ve had the pleasure of catching up with this gorgeous bunch since Adriana was pregnant with Felix during their maternity session at The Pines. Next I was able to meet the gorgeous Felix during their newborn lifestyle session which are undoubtedly my favourite sessions to capture! And more recently (although I’m massively behind with blogs!), I met with them at Hyde Park for their family session. This beautiful family come into their session relaxed, willing to have fun and connect with each other, which makes for the most beautiful and natural images to be captured! During all of my sessions I want you to connect with each other, and not be focused on looking at the camera. That’s just my style – always looking for the authentic expressions of connection between you!

Hyde Park is one of those locations that is still beautiful outside of golden hour, but of course that magical period where the sun is setting always always always results in the most magical light!

If you’d like to book in a session or ask any questions, send me an email! You can also view more beautiful photos in my Family Portfolio.

 

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Burns Beach Family Session – The May Family

Amy is my very good friend from my son’s mothers group, who also runs Amy Lee Photography. She’s been taking the time to get family photos from me for a number of years! You can look over past sessions with her, including at The Pines WannerooAmy’s maternity session at Perry’s Paddock, and their extended family session. We met at Burns Beach for their first session with their newest addition, the beautiful Delilah. Amy also had a gorgeous idea of wanting some naked pics of Delilah, which we got towards the very end. It got a little chilly, so they also brought a blanket, which in my opinion also creates beautiful texture and mood in your memories!

As usual, my sessions go with the flow according to the kids moods and their own personalities. It’s letting them have fun, be free, and let themselves shine!

If you’d like to book in a session, or have any questions, send me an email! You can also view more of my work in my Family Portfolio.

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The Pines Maternity Session | Becky

Becky and Ryan were expecting their first baby boy, and their session was a gift from their sister in law. We met at the beautiful Pines, on a day where the weather couldn’t quite decide what it wanted to do! The Pines is a stunning location, but is always that extra bit magical when the golden sunset comes out to play – and luckily it did just that for us! All my sessions are booked during the golden hour around sunset, for that perfect glow!

Becky and Ryan included their gorgeous dog Kaia in their session, as she is such a big part of their family. To keep Kaia behaving throughout the session, they brought along their sister in law to walk her around when she wasn’t needed for the photos, and little treats to keep her engaged. Kaia was an absolute star, and I’m so glad she was included!

Sometimes I come away from photographing people and I feel so uplifted from the energy that’s come from them – and this was one of those uplifting experiences. They were fun, relaxed, connected, and I could literally feel the love for each other through all the photos I was taking. Their little boy is one lucky little guy!

I’m always so happy when people choose to take the time for a maternity session – it’s one thing I never did for any of my pregnancies, and is something I’ll always regret. Being pregnant might be uncomfortable at times, and it’s certainly not all magical moments, but it’s still one of the most life changing and special times in your life. It’s soooo worth capturing in beautiful ways – not just with phone selfies, or those tummy shots up against the wall. Get some truly gorgeous photos to remember this once in a lifetime moment when you’re growing your baby inside of you – before you know who they are – this phase of your life that is soooo fast, yet so life changing.

After her session, Becky said “Alana just made us feel so comfortable! Everything felt so natural and not forced! Will definitely recommend her to my friends and also when my baby is born I would love to get her to take them photos too’.

If you’d like to book in a Maternity session for yourself, or as a gift for someone else, Contact me here! You can also view more examples of my work in my Maternity Portfolio.

 

 

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In-home Newborn Lifestyle Session | Harriet

How crazy and unexpected has this year been?! We were all booked in to do a maternity session for Kirsty and Cameron to celebrate their first pregnancy – and then Covid hit, throwing everyone’s plans out the window! Plan B worked out even better though – as we were free to meet when little Harriet had been born and was able to join us in a gorgeous newborn lifestyle session in their home!

Lifestyle sessions are so much fun! We get to just chat, relax, and go with the flow as I look out for those little moments between you to capture. The natural laughter…the little baby expressions…the closing of your eyes as you soak your baby in…the way your hands play with her finger…the way you all fit together. It might sometimes feel as if you’re staying in one spot for a long time, and you might not know if you’re doing ‘enough’. But you are. We don’t need to be moving constantly to get the most beautiful photos. You just need to be you, together, still and taking in the moment. Just breathe, relax, and let me do all of the work.

I’ll usually look for the best light during our session – and a window like the one in Kirsty’s lounge room is just perfect! But really, any window light will do. I don’t need (or usually want) overhead lights on – my focus is on working with the natural light and the natural moments between you. I’ll guide you, and direct you, and we’ll set up situations sometimes…but the emotions that come from the photos…that’s all you!

Harriet is one gorgeous little baby, and I was lucky enough to sneak in a little cuddle with her at the end! Spending time with you and your new little person is probably my favourite thing to do, because I know how special and fleeting this time is, and also how messy, emotional and complicated it can be. Sometimes, it’s by looking back on photos, that you can really enjoy it properly.

If you’d like to book in a session for yourself, Contact me! You can also view more examples of my work in my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio.

 

 

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Perry’s Paddock Family Session | Oliver

I first met Oliver’s parents at Perry’s Paddock for their Maternity Session in the pouring rain! I then met Oliver the day after he was born during his Fresh 48 session at their home. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to see them all again, as well as Oliver’s Grandparents, for a family session at Perry’s Paddock. We almost had some weather issues again, but luckily the rain held out this time! I love being able to see my families again, and couldn’t believe how much Oliver had grown. From a one day old newborn, to a sitting, smiling 7 month old baby….there are sooo many changes that happen in those first years. Changes that happen before your eyes and literally over night. Each stage can sometimes feel never ending, but it’s really not. Time passes so quickly, and brings with it so many stages, changes and phases. This is part of the reason why I love photos so much, because they freeze some of those stages in time so that you can revisit them long after they’ve passed. You can look at a photo and it can bring back all of the memories…the feelings and the emotions…and you can almost relive it again. How often do you sit and hold onto a photo, smiling as you remember what it was like when it was taken?

Dea and Chris chose to include a photo book with their collection, which is the perfect way to keep some of your favourite photos in one place so that you can look through them again and again. I’m a big believer in not only taking photos, but also in displaying them! Don’t just keep them on your computer, never to be seen again!

If you’d like to create some beautiful photo memories, Contact me and we can chat! You can also view more examples of my work in my Family PortfolioFresh 48 Portfolio and Maternity Portfolio.

 

 

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Perry’s Paddock Maternity Session | Emily

Emily and Hayden were due to have their first baby boy, and wanted to include their 3 dogs (fur babies!) in their maternity session. I’m always more than happy to do this, and Perry’s Paddock is a perfect location to do so! I love Perry’s Paddock for its open fields, the trees, the gorgeous white house, the magical sunsets and the opportunity for those beautiful silhouette images. This is the perfect place to take some time to capture this once in a lifetime moment – a time before your baby is born, and your body is going through all of those crazy changes. it’s a time you’ll look back on and remember – a time before you knew who this little person was, and before you’d held him in your arms. So much anticipation, mixed in with some nerves and excitement. Don’t let this time pass without celebrating how beautiful you are as you carry your baby in your belly!!

Emily said that during her session she felt ‘very comfortable’ and said that my shooting style was “Very casual in the sense that you don’t make people feel like they’re on show. You capture people’s real expressions and feelings in a photo rather than the shell on the outside that most posed photos do in my opinion”. She described the photos she received as “Unmasked; authentic, charismatic”. Mission accomplished!!

Emily says: “Alana’s work is absolutely incredible, not only does it show in her photographs but she has this ability to make you feel completely comfortable and at ease no matter how silly you think you look. She’s very easy to talk to and makes sure you understand her intent behind the images and uses her experience to get you the best possible results. Her images portray in my opinion a real authenticness in the subject she’s photographing, there’s no perfect ‘posing’ you simply be yourself-with a bit of silly- and she manages to capture a side of you that you may never have seen of yourself before. My partner and i were blown away by our photographs. 10/10 ”

If you’d like to capture some unmasked, authentic and charismatic photos of your own, Contact me and we can chat! You can also view my Maternity Portfolio for more examples of beautiful mumma’s and their gorgeous pregnancies.

 

 

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Perry’s Paddock Maternity Session | Amy

Amy is a good friend of mine (also a photographer at Amy Lee Photography), and was also due for her third baby (spoiler: it’s a girl!), so we decided to have her Maternity session at the beautiful Perry’s Paddock during golden hour. I love the gorgeous glow of Perry’s Paddock, and the variety it provides with the trees, buildings, and open fields, so it’s perfect for celebrating a new baby coming into your family! How beautiful does Amy and her family look!!

Pregnancy is such a special time in your world. You don’t always feel beautiful, you don’t always enjoy it, and it definitely comes with its challenges (especially when you have other children to look after!), but it’s so worth capturing. Your body changes so quickly as it grows this new life, and the anticipation of the time just before you get to meet this new little person is indescribable. Maternity sessions are best booked around 32-37 weeks – a time when you look pregnant enough, but you’re also hopefully not too ‘over it’. Including your partner and other children is also really special. Chase and Emily were so excited about their new baby coming along – it’s a life changing time for them too!

If you’d like to book a maternity session for yourself, Contact me here!! You can also view more examples of my work in my Maternity Portfolio.

 

 

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In-home Fresh 48 Session | Oliver

It was only a couple of weeks ago that Dea, Chris and I braved the rainy day to capture their Maternity Session, and I’m soooo glad we did because little Oliver decided to make an appearance a little sooner than expected! Exactly two weeks after their Maternity Session, I was meeting their little boy in their home who had been born during a quick and sudden labour the very day before!! As they left the hospital within hours of his birth, Oliver’s Fresh 48 session was captured in his home, which is a beautiful way to freeze this once in a lifetime moment of bringing your little one home! Fresh 48 sessions focus on the gorgeous little baby details in the first 48 hours after birth – the belly button clamp still attached, the wrinkly hands and fingers, the messy hair and all those little details which tell the story of a little baby just being born.

It also tells the story of new parents – the amazement, the exhaustion, the adrenaline high, the beaming smiles, and the expressions of a love they’ve never quite felt before (and of course in this case it also must include Chris drinking coke and playing xbox games!). This is a time where it’s still not quite real – when their whole world has been changed and it’s impossible to keep up with reality. It’s surreal looking at your baby for the first time. Seeing them move, hearing their noises, and feeling their skin. It will never quite feel the same again. Their fingers will stop being wrinkly, their movements will become more controlled, and they’ll change at rapid speed over the next days, weeks, months and years. Hold onto this moment, soak them in as much as you can. Capture it so that you can revisit it all long after it’s passed.

Dea mentioned during the session that I have the best job, and she’s right. I get to meet these amazing people and their most perfect little babies. I get to witness this magical time in people’s lives and freeze some of it in time for them. I loved spending time with Dea, Chris and Oliver, and then sneaking in some moments with Grandma when she came to visit too. This is her first grandchild, and she was there for his birth. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must feel like!! Congratulations guys on your perfect son (I really thought he was going to be a ‘she’!), and thank you for letting me into your world to capture your new family as it is today.

I was lucky enough to meet Oliver and his family a few months later during their family session at Perry’s Paddock.

If you’d like me to capture some memories for you too, Contact me here. You can also view my Fresh 48 Portfolio and learn more about Fresh 48 sessions here. Don’t forget to check out Dea’s Maternity Session captured completely in the rain – it’s truly beautiful!

 

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The Pines Maternity Session | Adriana

Having met around 10 years ago over wee and poo (ha ha sorry guys but that’s the way you described it to me!), Adriana and Josh are about to welcome their second son (or ‘baby frog’ as their almost three year old Elias calls him!). Interestingly, their baby has the same due date as Elias’s third birthday, and even more interestingly, Josh shares a birthday with TWO of his brothers! It seems like this is a bit of a family tradition – I wonder whether this little one will keep it up! I’m super excited, because I’ll also be capturing this family during their Lifestyle Newborn session, so I’ll be able to meet their gorgeous new addition!

We planned a last minute session down at The Pines, and crossed our fingers that the weather would be kind to us! As Adriana is close to her due date, we decided that a back up plan would be to capture her session in their home so that she wouldn’t miss out. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day and we were able to go to The Pines as planned.

It was obvious pretty quickly that Elias is a little bit of a Daddy’s boy (except when he was sick the week before and only wanted Mummy!). It was a challenge to get him to sit or be held by his mum, but the absolute best thing to do in those situations is to not push them or force them to do anything. During sessions with toddlers, it all pretty much revolves around them and what they’re willing (or not willing!) to do. Don’t stress about it, don’t push them or get frustrated, and I can almost guarantee that at some point, in their own time, they’ll do exactly what you want them to do. And that’s exactly what happened. Elias suddenly reached up for his Mum and was happy to be held, and we just grabbed onto that moment! Let it all naturally unfold, and magic will happen!

And of course, as with all sessions including kids, we have lots of fun flipping upside down, tickling, flying in the sky, and anything else that keeps them happy and entertained (and has the added bonus of letting me capture those gorgeous authentic connections!).

I loved spending time with this family, and really look forward to hearing the news of the birth of their new little boy. I can’t wait to meet him! If you’d like to capture some memories for yourself, Contact me and we can chat about the type of session you’d love. You can also view my Maternity Portfolio and Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio, and learn more about Newborn Lifestyle sessions here.

 

 

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Perry’s Paddock Maternity Session | Dea

This session just has alllll the feels!!! We went ahead with it despite the rain, as we’d had to cancel the week before due to storms, and we didn’t want to risk Dea’s baby being born before we were able to reschedule again!! Dea was also getting her hair and makeup done, so we decided to just go ahead. We changed the location from The Pines to Perry’s Paddock as I prefer the openness of Perry’s Paddock on overcast days, and we also pushed the session earlier in the afternoon as we weren’t going to be getting the golden hour glow. It was sooo worth it!! I think the rain gives a beautiful magical feel to their images, and it will be something they’ll always remember!!

Lucky for me, Chris and Dea brought out two umbrellas, so I was able to continue shooting despite the rain. Chris was an amazing assistant holding the camera over my head when he wasn’t involved in the shots, and the rest of the time I juggled the umbrella and camera. Our shoes were sodden, we were wet, there was less of an opportunity to move around, but I absolutely love the end result!! Dea chose the perfect dress to compliment both her gorgeous baby bump and the environment, and although Chris wasn’t overly thrilled at the idea of the session, I think he did pretty well! I’m so glad they have these memories to look back on, and I hope they are too! Dea described her images as ‘beautiful, natural and fun’ – perfect!

I’m also meeting with Dea for her 48 Session and her Newborn Lifestyle session, and I can’t wait to meet their beautiful baby! I have a huge hunch it might be a girl – so let’s see if I’m right!! By booking in more than one session, you get discounts on your additional sessions – which means more gorgeous images for less of the cost!

If you’d like me to capture some memories for you too, please Contact me and we can chat! You can also view my Maternity PortfolioFresh 48 Portfolio and Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio for more examples of my work! You can also view Oliver’s Fresh 48 session – yep I was wrong and it was a boy! I was lucky enough to meet Oliver and his family again during a family session at Perry’s Paddock.

 

 

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The Pines Maternity Session | Vanessa

Not only did I get to meet Vanessa and her family during her Maternity session at The Pines recently, but in a few weeks I’m also going to be there to capture their Newborn Lifestyle Session!! Capturing more than one part of your story is something I love being asked to do, and because of that I give a little discount on each of your additional sessions. Each part of your story is so important – having a baby whether it’s your first, second, fifth, or last – is the biggest moment of your life and it totally deserves to be captured!!

I myself never got maternity photos with any of my four pregnancies. I have NO idea why and it’s something I really regret. Sure I took photos at home, and those weekly bump photos, but I was usually in my pj’s standing up against the wall at night time. Although I’m so glad I have those at least, I’m really sad that I never took the time to let someone else take some proper ones for me. Having a maternity session allows you to celebrate your pregnancy, to include your partner and other kids if you choose, and to have those memories to look back on of this extremely emotional, extremely fleeting time. It’s the absolute start of it all!

I met Vanessa and her family at the gorgeous Pines in Wanneroo during golden hour, which is the only time I really like to schedule my sessions. I mean, check out that LIGHT!!! Vanessa wanted to capture her pregnancy as she didn’t have a lot of photos from her first pregnancy, and this one is likely to be her last (but you never know, right?!). Vanessa knows that she’ll be having another boy, a little brother to her 2 year old Paddy, and I wanted to make sure that I took some images of just her and Paddy together. It’s an emotional time when you go from one child to two – I actually cried leading up to the birth of each of my babies! Not because you’re not happy, but just because it changes things and that can be a little scary. Your baby won’t be your only baby anymore, and that is a little bittersweet. You’re excited to see them interact with their sibling, but also sad that life will change a little for all of you. Paddy was so affectionate with his mum – he couldn’t stop kissing her face and rubbing noses with her, and I’m glad I captured this for them.

It’s also important to get some photos as a couple, and it’s not ALL about the bump. It’s also just about your connection, your excitement, your relationship at this point in your lives. I made Vanessa and Ryan do a little dance together, as I often do during my sessions! I made it clear that I wouldn’t judge as I’m NOT a dancer, and they had fun with it! Having that little moment to dance together and feel a little silly is a special bonding moment, and it usually brings out the most sincere emotions. As well as dancing, we had some tickling and flying with Paddy, pine cone searches, outfit changes, and lots of kisses for Mummy’s baby bump. Congratulations to Vanessa and her boys – I can’t WAIT to come and see you all again for your newborn session and I especially can’t wait to see your gorgeous baby!!

This is what Vanessa had to say about her session “We had Alana take some family maternity photos for us and she was brilliant. I was worried our 2.5 year old would be shy but Alana was great at getting down to his level, and he warmed up to her very quickly. He ended up having an absolute ball and the photos reflect that. She managed to capture some beautiful photos of us all, she is really talented! Thank you Alana!”

If you’d like me to capture some fun and relaxed memories for you, feel free to Contact me here. You can also view my Maternity Portfolio and Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio for more examples of my work.

 

Hyde Park Maternity Session | Kele

Not only is this beautiful mummy pregnant to TWINS, she also had just flown down from her home in Karratha two days prior so that she can give birth in Perth, she has a gorgeous (but energetic!) toddler, and her husband was flying back to Karratha the very next day. She contacted me last minute as they’d had to cancel the maternity session they’d booked in Karratha due to her son Saxon being unwell, and time was running out to capture these memories for her! I was so glad that I was able to fit her in, and especially glad that Adam was able to be a part of it before he flew back to Karratha the next day.

Including partners and older children in your maternity session is just so special. Although the purpose of the session is to celebrate mum’s growing bump and the magic of pregnancy, life also changes a lot for everyone else too. Freezing those final moments of being the family as you are now is something you’ll never regret. It’s hard not to look at your oldest child sometimes and feel sad that this part of life is ending. I know, because I felt that too. But there’s also so much excitement for what’s to come – this magic that’s being born into your family!

Saxon was the cutest little boy and is so lucky to be getting not one, but TWO little babies to look after – a brother AND a sister!! He arrived on his little orange balance bike, and was incredibly amazing throughout the whole session. It’s so obvious how much this little boy is loved, and how hard he loves back. He’s going to be the greatest big brother! I really wanted to capture some moments just between Saxon and his parents too. These moments where he’s still an only child and where he has their whole attention. As Kele said, he really doesn’t know what he’s in for! I think they’ll be amazing though – what a perfect little family who were an absolute pleasure to spend time with.

If you’d love to capture some memories of your own pregnancy, I’d love to chat to you about it! No matter how hard it is some days, or how you feel you look, pregnancy is amazing and it’s fleeting. Every woman is beautiful and this moment in your life deserves to be captured. Contact me here and we can chat about your session! You can also have a look through my Maternity Portfolio for further examples of my work.

 

Burns Beach Maternity Session | Jaydean

Jaydean and her partner Chris travelled over an hour to meet me at Burns Beach for their maternity session. Chris had also driven throughout the day as he’s a FIFO worker, so had spent a lot of time in the car. I appreciated the effort they made to be there for the shoot! Jaydean and Chris were due to have their first baby girl, and once she was born, Jaydean was going to be moving so that Chris didn’t have to commute back and forth for work. They were such a beautiful couple – so full of laughter and love, and looking forward to their little girl being born. I’m sure she’ll be wrapped around Chris’s little finger! During a maternity session, I don’t like to only get images of the growing bump. I also like focusing on the connection between the soon-to-be parents. I think it’s so special and beautiful. One of my favourite images is Jaydean’s arms wrapped around Chris’s neck. If you looked at the image in isolation, you wouldn’t know that it was part of a maternity session. But I know it is, and they know it is. Images can be so powerful – there are so many memories associated with a particular image and point in time. I want clients to not only visually remember that time, but also remember the feelings of that time.

If you’d like to view more beautiful maternity images, check out my Maternity Portfolio. If you’d like to book a session, Contact me here.

 

 

 

In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Session Perth | Chloe

I was so excited to get to see Chloe again after capturing her birth two months ago. I’ve loved following Chloe’s journey from her mummy’s maternity session (see Charlotte’s Maternity Session) to her birth (see The Birth of Chloe), and now her Newborn Lifestyle session. Chloe was so good during her session – she was either sleeping or happy the entire time. Her Mummy Charlotte and Daddy Dylan were surprised by this, as they insisted that she was normally more challenging to get to sleep – but during the session she just peacefully stayed asleep even when moved from person to person. I reckon she remembered me from her birth and was excited to see me too lol. She’d already grown so much and was already interacting with everyone around her – including her two sisters were also there to shower some love on her.

During newborn lifestyle sessions I love to capture the things that occur every day – such as changing your baby, or feeding her – as well as giving the opportunity to just spend a moment holding your baby (in nice light lol) and just look at her little features and soak her in. It gives you a moment to stop and appreciate the little baby features amidst what can sometimes be the chaotic first few months. I love being able to provide these memories to people. Those first few months can sometimes feel never ending when you’re dealing with the challenges of baby wind problems, lack of sleep, and settling into your ‘new normal’ – but they DO end. Suddenly you realise that you’re not holding her for sleeps anymore, that she doesn’t fit into that outfit anymore, and that life has changed from what it once was. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll miss it. By having the photos to look back on you can ‘holiday’ in that time again and remember what it was like.

You can view more Newborn Lifestyle sessions in my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio. If you’d like to book a session for yourself, or gift a session to someone you love, Contact me. I’d love to help you out!

 

In home Maternity Session | Maja

I’ve known Maja since we went to Uni together (way too long ago!), and then we also worked together for a couple of years before I had my daughter. We don’t often get to see each other, but when we do, it’s like no time has passed. I was so excited to hear that Maja was pregnant with her first little boy. I knew that he was very wanted, and I knew that her and her husband Ross would shower him with love. I was also very excited to take some images for her to help her remember this beautiful time. Maja is always beautiful – but especially pregnant! I met her at her home for a Lifestyle Maternity session. It was a cold and rainy day, so we were both quite happy to stay indoors for the most part! I think pregnancy is such a magical time – it’s truly amazing what the body can do, and I love that we’re able to celebrate it through photos. I never had professional maternity photos in any of my pregnancies, and I really wish that I did. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of your stomach growing, your baby moving around inside you and that feeling that you’re about to do something very special. Of course there are always challenges that come with pregnancy as well, but it’s amazing how they’re forgotten afterwards (until you’re reminded of course!).

Maja and I also wanted to get some location shots at The Secret Garden. It was still raining, but we decided to attempt it anyway. She changed her outfit and took an umbrella – and I actually think that made the images even more special! We didn’t stay there long, but I’m glad that we went.

If you’d like to capture some memories in a maternity session either in your home or on location, Contact Me and we can discuss the best option for you. Also check out my Maternity Portfolio for more beautiful images.