There’s something very special about maternity sessions. There’s a serenity amongst the moms I work with that rubs off on me, I suppose. Even when there are toddlers involved in the sessions, mothers always seem to manage to stay relaxed and look like their having the best 9 months of their lives. It’s honestly quite amazing to watch.
I had the privilege of working with some wonderful families since arriving home in February, and have been holding off on posting about them until I could decide exactly what to share.
I’d like to introduce you to some people I know. :)
Meet Adele. Despite being the mother of a young son, Adele was in full-on glow mode. She looked comfortable, she was mobile, and she was sooooo relaxed. Ian and Brayden joined Adele for a ridiculously cute session. Turns out the Brayden LOVES the camera – any time we thought we’d try a shot with just Mom and Dad, you could count on Brayden deciding to join. That’s pretty unusual for toddlers; typically, they tire of being in posed photos quite quickly, so I got a real kick out of getting to work with the whole family for so much of the session. I loved that this maternity session allowed me to focus on the whole family and the relationships within it.
I also got to hang out with Kelly, Chad, and Amelia. Amelia was more along the lines of what I expected – she willingly cooperated for some great shots, but happily retired to the couch for awhile once she tired of being in photos, and that was absolutely not a problem for anyone. Chad and Kelly arrived with a disclaimer that I hear more often than you might expect (certainly more often than I expect): we’re not very photogenic. But an interesting thing happens when you focus on photographing relationships rather than faces: put people with those they love and they can’t help being photogenic, regardless of what they might’ve originally thought. The little story time session on the couch happened spontaneously and made my heart leap with joy because it was so honest and natural for them to sit with Amelia and just enjoy one another. And the shot in front of the window? That’s something they’d seen me do before and they specifically asked for it, but the fun thing about that shot is that once a toddler is up in Mommy’s face, you never know what kind of moment will unfold – so glad we caught this one.
Along came Josée and Jamie. Matéo is their first child, so their session was all about the two of them and how fabulous Josée looked. I don’t know how these women I work with manage it, but they always amaze me. Josée is tall and lean and her pregnancy is all bump – there isn’t a single ounce spread anywhere else on her frame. She and Jamie are both so down to earth and easy to talk to, that this session really felt more like hanging out than working. We passed the time with jokes and laughter, which never hurts. :) There was a phenomenal amount of trust in me during this session, which is so encouraging because it allows me to give my clients something different. This session allowed me to play with my lights and do some interesting work that also showed the connection between these two genuinely lovely people.
Anne and Shawn arrived and felt pretty unsure as to how this whole “maternity session” thing worked. They were up for anything I suggested, so I got to play around with some ideas and some fabrics and had a great time laughing with them. The awesome thing about this session is that I felt very free to try some different things because they were SO onboard with whatever I threw at them. They’ve got this wonderful connection that I wanted to highlight, but Anne also has this gorgeous face that was so easy to photograph.
Tony and Helen. Where to begin? We had planned this session to be outdoors, but with bare trees, Helen decided to move it into the studio. There aren’t many times when I’ll willingly be in the studio on a Saturday evening (especially once Spring has arrived), but I had so much fun during this session. There were a few sentimental items that we worked into the photos, but otherwise we just focussed on the awesomeness that was this pair. Helen thought she was pestering me prior to the session, but she was actually sending me some great background info that helped me be really informed about her thoughts on her life and pregnancy, which made it really easy for me to figure out what I wanted to do with them when they arrived. Helen is a breathtaking pregnant woman; she’s got this awesome figure and fantastic skin, so I was in heaven working with ways to emphasise her curves and really show off her pregnancy glow.
I’m Ang – a Cornwall, Ontario-based photographer with a passion for capturing light and photographing natural moments in life as they happen. My goal is to capture memories that you will cherish once this special time in your life has passed. I love meeting new families in their natural environment and getting in amongst the bedlam so that I can document the perfectly imperfect realities of daily life. Please explore more of www.momentusstudio.com to see more examples of maternity photography in Cornwall, Ontario.
