I have a few regrets from my pregnancy, and I am sure most women can relate to the notion of wishing they had done a few more things before baby arrived. My biggest regret was not having a maternity photoshoot…( And before you think its just because I am a photographer, read my reasons.)

So much of photography rests on the notion of preserving history. Capturing a specific moment and impressing that in your memory, but with additional visual cues- like a photograph. Think of all the big moments in your life- Graduation, Marriage, First house, or first job- and I know that you have vivid visual memories of those moments as you read this. Taking images of those moments allows your children, friends, or future grandchildren to share those moments with you. It is a forgotten but important rite of passage- opening the photo album to view those moments.

Many women avoid maternity shoots because they feel uncomfortable, ugly, or they just don’t want to remember what it is like to be pregnant. Some women don’t realize how beautiful they look, or how amazing their body is for being able to preserve a human for 9 MONTHS!! ( I still am amazed that we can do this.)

All of the above notions coincided with this shoot- I wanted Marlayna to feel beautiful, and strong and I wanted to shoot this moment in a way that showed the magic and surreality of being pregnant. Because of this, I underexposed most images to allow a moody dramatic feel, and I manually focused my images to allow that surreal blur. Marlayna was such a pleasure to photograph, she is beautiful, kind, authentic, funny, and ready for any adventure. This baby will be loved and welcomed to a wonderful home, and I am so grateful to be able to preserve this moment for her.