Congratulations! No matter if this is your first or fifth baby, pregnancy is one of the most exciting season of a women’s life. Maternity sessions are designed to celebrate you! You’re growing a human and that’s pretty amazing!
I absolutely love everything about motherhood and babies. While the end of your pregnancy might not have you feeling your best, think of these images as a heirloom for your child. I put my heart and soul into these sessions and I cannot thank you enough for trusting your
family to me.
See you soon!
Ashleigh
Styling
This is probably the hardest part of a session. Styling is one thing I try not to have too much of a hand in since I want you guys to still be you. But, here are my two cents:
Start with one person. Select one outfit - girls tend to be easier. Once you have one outfit set, start adding in other family members. It makes the process a little less overwhelming.
Coordinate. As you start to think about outfits, it’s best to start with a color palette.. For example: light blue, grey and blush. Each person/outfit will bring together a feeling of coordination. If you want light and airy pictures, keep your color palette soft and muted, like whites and pastels. If you are wanting lively pictures, choose a vivid color scheme like mustards and coral. I tend to enjoy lighter, muted colors, especially for the beach. You can’t go wrong with white, tans, light blue and light pink. Please avoid overly saturated colors like pinks and reds.
Dressing your bump. Here are a few tips specifically for you, mom.
A maxi dress is perfect because it is comfortable, we can pull it tight across your bump, but the fabric flows in the wind which is beautiful in pictures.
A tight dress. A bodycon dress is amazing to show off your bump.
I’d avoid strong colors. I think pastels and whites are delicate and photograph beautifully.
Clothing with texture always look nice.
Don’t feel like you can only wear a dress. Sweaters and lace tops also look great. And since we live near the beach, you can totally rock a bathing suit!
Bring a few outfits. I will bring a changing pod to the session so you can get a few different looks. To keep things simple, don’t change the rest of the family’s outfits.
*Stay away from neon colors and loud patterns.
Head to toe. Don't forget about everyone’s shoes! You don’t need to purchase everyone new shoes, but keep in mind that shoes will be part of the pictures… unless we are at the beach and then we can kick them off!
Things I would AVOID.
Remember the Olan Mills look of everyone in khakis and white button down shirts? Let’s not do that! Again, think about coordinating, but not matching perfectly.
Please avoid neon or super saturated colors as they tend to make the skin turn neon too. Instead, try toned down versions (like mustard yellow instead of bright yellow)
Avoid clothing with big logos or text as they are distracting.
Finally, I’d avoid putting kids in clothes they hate. I once put my son in an adorable overall outfit that he said “take off” at least 100 times while getting him dressed. Well, guess who was pouting his entire session.
PRIOR TO YOUR SESSION
Preparing your kids for our session takes the stress out of the evening. Please make sure your kids know this is fun! Don’t bother telling them to smile or “be good.” I think the best pictures come when kids are relaxed and having fun. I will mix in playful pictures with the everyone-looking-at-the-camera pictures to keep the kids engaged. Often during sessions I will have each parent do something fun with each kid - like the ever popular dad throwing the toddler into the air or mom and daughter telling secrets. You could brainstorms ideas of fun things to do prior to the session. I’m also a huge fan of bribery when kids need a little extra encouragement.
Moms, I’m speaking to you. Is your husband feeling less than thrilled about your upcoming photo shoot? A little bribery seems to work well here too. But seriously, let your husband know that the shoot will be relatively painless and to try to focus on having an hour to play with the kids and hold your hand.
THE DAY OF YOUR SESSION
The Kids
I mentioned bribery. Love it! Trust me, there is almost nothing I haven't seen (or used with my own kids) so don’t feel guilty. Keep in mind that most snacks make messes and/or have dye in them that turns your kids’ mouths all kinds of colors. I suggest keeping the goodies in your bag or in the car until after we’ve finished. Great bribes include: shave ice trip, marshmallows, puffs, staying to play at the beach afterwards, etc.
Please make sure everyone uses the bathroom before leaving the house. Most public bathrooms, if available, aren’t awesome.
Sessions with younger children are typically around 45 minutes. We all know when they’ve hit their limit so we will quickly wrap up while also making sure you have a great gallery of images. If your little one isn’t accustomed to staying up until sunset, please adjust their naps as best you can and rest assured that one night of staying up past their bed time will be just fine, promise!
For older children, please don’t say, “That’s not your REAL smile.” Trust me, I have a 10 year old with a “great” fake smile. Even if I’m snapping away, I’m just trying to loosen up your son/daughter. I promise you’ll get more than cheesy smiles in your final gallery.
I take my time and do my best to allow your kids to feel comfortable around me. Know we are going to have a blast.
What to bring
It’s always good to have a few backups with you on session day. I recommend baby wipes, diapers, bobby pins, lipstick or gloss, bug spray, sunscreen, Puffs or Cheerios for toddlers, a water bottle and a towel plus change of clothes if we are shooting at the beach. I will have a blanket, but you are more than welcome to bring your own.
Weather
A quick, but important note: if the weather turns out warmer/ cooler than you anticipated when putting together outfits, please adjust what everyone is wearing. Doing a session when it’s sweltering and kids are overdressed is never fun. In the event of rain, I will be watching the radar all day. If it doesn’t rain, but is overcast, we will still do the session as planned. If it does rain, we will reschedule the session.
Illness
Just as important as the weather is that everyone being photographed is feeling 100% (or at least near it!) There isn’t anything worse than an unhappy and sick-feeling child - they especially do not want to be in front of the camera. At the first sign that your kid isn’t well, please let me know.
AFTER YOUR SESSION
Editing. My philosophy on post processing. In keeping with my natural style, I only make minor changes during post processing. I will clean up skin if necessary, but please let me know prior to your session if you have any concerns.
Your gallery. I’ll go through and touch up the best images for your session.
For a full session: Within two weeks of your session, you’ll receive an online gallery to download via email. A print release is also included in your gallery.
For a mini session: Within two weeks of your sessions, you’ll receive an online proof gallery via email with instructions on picking your images. You are able to purchase additional images from your gallery. A print release is also included in your final gallery.
I hope this packet leaves you informed and excited about your maternity session! If you have any questions, feel free to send them my way. I want this to be a fun experience for you.
I’m excited to meet you and your family!
Ashleigh