It’s great when our wedding clients reach out to us after a few years to shoot their Maternity session. It’s even better when you know that you’ll be an auntie to their future baby. We had the privilege to photograph Mat and Tran’s maternity session at the Thomas Riley Wilderness Park in Coto de Caza.
Tran specifically wanted a location with grassy fields and an option for trees. Aside from the open fields and the large trees, there were also charming garden areas and benches nestled in this park. So we chose this popular location in South Orange County because there were a variety of natural backdrops less than 25 feet from the parking lot so she didn’t have to walk too far, which I’m always concerned about with expecting mothers.
When we say popular location, we mean it! Over a dozen other sessions were going on around us. Luckily we were able to time it so that we were able to hit every spot when it got empty. It was also convenient that the grassy areas where we wanted to photograph had walkways and patches that were pushed down by previous sessions. Making it easier to settle down and minimize the number of loose twigs and grass in your shoes and clothes. Always be respectful of other people and the animals around you. Remain patient as you navigate through the park.
Since this is more of a wilderness park than a generic city park, there will be some bugs especially as you approach dusk. There is a still body of water in the garden so I would come prepared expecting mosquitos. Mosquitoes are more attracted to you if your body temperature is up either from exercises like hiking or if you’re pregnant. We brought some natural bug repellent to be safe. There is also a handicap size porta potty which is convenient for doing an outfit change and for bathroom runs in general.
Tran brought two outfits. One with a red skirt and white top and one blue flowy gown. We chose to do red under the trees since red and green are complimentary colors. We also brought a little picnic set up, and the red had the perfect casual look for it. For similar reasons, we chose the blue dress in the grassy fields since blue and gold were complimentary colors. We figured that the flow of the dress could match well with the softness of the tall grass. In reality, the grass was pretty dry and prickly, but they look super soft in the final image!
Something new that I got to try with this particular session is posing the expecting mother where her closest leg towards the camera is bent, and she leans back slightly. I found that this is a very flattering pose for the maternity session. A relax bent knee makes the mother seem less stiff but also accentuates the belly. Leaning back also makes her look more relaxed while straightening out her upper body. Tran said herself “Makes me look pregnant and less fat.”
What are some of your favorite maternity poses? Let us know in the comments below.
