Bria + Baby at Stone Mountain

I met Bria on the day of the session while she had her makeup done - somewhere between eyelashes and powder.  I admire Bria and her husband for being able to journey through the entire pregnancy not knowing the gender of the baby!  So few people do that these days and I can't imagine the anticipation as they inch closer and closer to baby's birth.  They will finally know who their precious child is!

But getting back to the session: having done some modeling before, she became the canvas on which the shoot stylist, Andrea Richardson, painted.  (And what a gorgeous canvas she is...even before makeup and styling)  If you check out my portfolio under the "Other Work" category, you'll see another session where I partnered with Andrea to capture a styled shoot she called "Summer Solstice".  Her inspiration is always exciting and fun, and I couldn't resist the idea of a styled maternity shoot at Stone Mountain's Rock Quarry Exhibit.  Andrea left no detail out as she cast her vision by selecting wardrobe, jewelry accents, hair styling, and make-up artistry.  When Bria got up from her seat ready to go, I knew she felt as beautiful as she looked.

We gathered on a beautiful morning where it was just cool enough for us to move around (Bria, at 36 weeks was a CHAMPION about navigating the rock quarry), and the time flew by as we moved from spot to spot.  Bria moved effortlessly in front of the camera, always keeping her light in mind and moving gracefully.  My favorite times were the moments she didn't even try to model, she simply took a moment for herself (see first capture above) and when she sunk into her most comfortable positions (see below).

This session truly captured the purpose of maternity sessions for me: to uplift the mother, celebrating the work her body is doing, capturing her glow and her innate beauty, to preserve for all time. 

After we finished, Bria said it was the first time in the past few months she didn't feel bad about her body in front of the camera.  YES!  This is every photographers dream review, because our hope is to help you feel perfectly at ease so we can capture your raw beauty.  YOU are extraordinary. 

Warm thanks to Andrea Richardson for inviting me to capture her vision, yet again, and for her trust in me.  Hopefully I will get to work with Bria in the future!  Either way I'm excited to hear the birth story and learn if Baby is a precious little boy, or a sweet baby girl.  Blessings!