Maternity Photos at First Landing State Park,  Virginia Beach

To me, there is nothing more beautiful than a woman expecting her first child.  Or even her second. Or third.  I love the glow of a pregnant woman, her skin, her smile, her eyes…You can see the life breathing into her by just thinking of the little one growing inside of her.

I met Tiana by complete chance.  We both use the remarkably talented Leslie Dina Hylton as our hair stylist.  Tiana and Leslie spoke of having maternity pictures done and looking into newborn photos.    I told her that I wasn’t a newborn photographer,  but I would give her few tips on what to look for for hiring one.

We chatted for a while, and I gave her my card.  I offered help in looking for one that would be suitable to handle her baby if she wanted or even some tips on flattering poses if she wanted.  A little time went by and she ended up calling on me to take her maternity photos.   As soon as we talked I was so excited to work with her.  I had a vision.

First Landing State Park

First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach is such a unique location for your maternity photos. On the east coast, there are few places to enjoy the sunset dip into the waters along the horizon.  It’s a beautiful spot where you can just make out the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on the water.  It can be a very popular spot for families beaching as well as for photographers around sunset.

Tiana is such a beautiful woman to me, and a dream in a blue maternity gown.  I instantly knew what I wanted the end result of her session to look like!  Which, as a photographer is so key to working with a client.  I hope you love the photos from this session as much as I do.  I am so proud to say that one of the photos from our session together has been featured in Vogue Italia.  With such a beautiful location and a dazzling mother-to-be, it’s no wonder. More on that in a future post!

sharing a tattoo of coordinates of a place held special to her

In order for your maternity session to be as successful as Tiana’s, here are a few tips to keep in mind!

• Talk to your photographer about what their vision for your images are. Don’t be afraid to tell them what you are looking for and see if their creative vision fits along yours.  These are pictures documenting your pregnancy and you want to be confident in how they turn out!
• Ask your photographer if they provide dresses or if you need to yourself.  If you choose your own, go for solid colors and stay away from anything with stripes on it!
• Schedule your session for sometime around 30-32 weeks.   After the 32-34 week mark, you really start to FEEL heavy and your baby starts doubling in size.  You want to feel beautiful, and I know it’s hard to feel so when you are carrying around a little person inside of you.  So by planning ahead you get images that show off that gorgeous round bump, and your beautiful figure, BEFORE baby starts doubling in size!
• Drink lots of water the night before and of course during your session.  Especially if you are outdoors.  You should be doing this anyways, but hydrating the day before will help with your skin tone.
• Wear a neutral strapless undergarments to prevent wardrobe malfunctions.  Nuff said.

Hope you found these to be useful to you.  If you want to know more about booking a maternity session fill out the form below and I would be glad to help you plan yours out!