I am just so excited to share these oh-so-special maternity photos we took with Karen Waits Photography today!! As a blogger, I tend to have a lot of photos stored up of myself, my outfits, my family, and my life in general. It’s part of the job description, I suppose! I typically take pictures for my blog with my brother or if I’m out and about adventuring – whoever else is available for an impromptu snap. But when it comes to special occasions and family milestones that we want to cherish, it is a treat to be able to go above and beyond to create special memories as keepsakes for a fleeting time in our lives. Does your family take professional photos to mark holidays or momentous events too!?
These photos Karen captured of our family are just that. The most special snapshots of a moment in time that I’m sure we will always look back on together. Our lives are about to change in every way with the arrival of our baby boy and having these last photos as a family of three means the world to me.
Today, I’m chatting all about our experience working with Karen and sharing more snaps from our “Boho” Family Maternity Shoot. I’m also dishing on a few tips that made our experience flawless, including what went into outfit planning … and how we got everyone to smile together on cue! More Below …
How to Style Your Family for Professional Maternity Photos
Each year, I’ve had such fun dressing Patrick, Annie, and myself up for our fall/holiday family photos. These professional photos are the ones we usually send away to loved ones in our Christmas card. We’ve also taken professional family photos to mark other big events or special occasions, like when we said “Goodbye” to Houston before our move to Memphis. This maternity shoot marks another noteworthy time in our lives and one we wanted to celebrate too.
When it comes to picking out our outfits, in order to make sure each person’s wardrobe complements the other I always start with one look first. Typically, it’s either mine or Annie’s. It’s quite obvious that my dress is the statement-maker for this family shoot but in years passed I’ve styled our family’s outfits around one of Annie’s party dresses or even a pair of cowboy boots!
In a nutshell: Pick the most statement-making look first and build the rest of your outfits based off of that one specific piece.
A great way to start finding looks for the rest of your family is by pulling colors, textures, and prints from your first outfit pick. There are oodles of lovely navy details in this gorgeous bohemian maternity dress (a rental I found on Etsy from The Traveling Dress) so I scoured the web to find a simple yet stunning navy dress for Annie to complement mine. Hers is an Amazon find that we scooped up for less than $20 too! I didn’t even realize until it arrived that it also has navy pom details adorning it. It couldn’t have matched my dress better.
Give your husband (or even children) a chance to give their input. They might surprise you!
I usually let my husband take the reigns when it comes to his outfits … but I give him a lot of guidelines and insight before doing so. For example, I showed him exactly what we were wearing and suggested shades of blue and that he wear his blazer so we would be equally “dressed up.” I had envisioned him in blue jeans but he was the one who opted for khaki denim instead and I absolutely love how it all tied together!
Find an Amazing Photographer Who Gets Your “Vibe”
Karen Waits is a local Memphis photographer, based out of Arlington (not far at all from Memphis) who has been voted one of the best maternity and newborn photographers in the city! She is rightfully deserving of these nominations as her work is simply stunning. I am still speechless looking at the snaps we got back from our recent shoot with her!!
One of the biggest reasons I was drawn to working with Karen was the style of her photography. The families in her shots all appeared so laid back, happy, and at ease. The gorgeous outdoorsy setting where she captures the golden hour light seemed anything but stuffy and constraining. Many of her props and accessories that clients are encouraged to use also had a bit of a bohemian vibe to them that fell right in line with my personal style too.
Plan to Snap Your Shots Right Around 30-Weeks
Karen and I started chatting in April about capturing maternity photos together and we scheduled a date right around when I hit 30-weeks this past July. Typically, Karen schedules maternity shoots around this time to best capture a growing baby bump while it is big & beautiful and before her clients have a chance to perhaps go into early labor. I recall a few friends back in Houston who had scheduled maternity photos at the 36-week mark only to miss out on the experience due to an unexpected early arrival from the little one. I’m so glad we went ahead and snapped these precious shots when we did!
Relax, Let Your Photographer Take the Reigns and “Act Natural”
Choosing a photographer can be a deeply personal and intricate decision. You want to find someone that makes your entire family feel comfortable enough to capture the essence of each member through their lens. I can always tell when we get photos back from various shoots if Annie’s smile is disingenuine or Patrick or I look utterly uncomfortable. While the picture might have still turned out “great,” seeing those “obvious to us” emotions don’t really make me want to frame or hang up said photograph.
I am by no means camera shy but that doesn’t’ mean my husband isn’t and at times, Annie can certainly be too. She is only three, after all! It makes such a big difference working with a photographer who puts you at ease and makes you feel comfortable as can be. From the very start, Karen had a gentle, sweet, and relaxing demeanor which made the entire experience all the more fun and enjoyable for us! She even had precious props to get a giggle out of Annie and entice her to smile more naturally.
Speaking of props, Karen also has an entire maternity wardrobe for moms-to-be to peruse prior to shooting – including stretchy gowns, flower crowns, and even fur stoles. All at no extra cost too. I mean, who really wants to invest in a fancy new dress 7-8 months pregnant anyway!?
And last but not least, I must RAVE about Karen’s posing skills!! Again, I take A LOT of pictures of myself for the blog .. I’m no stranger to posing for certain things. Do I feel like I am an expert or even good at it? Ha, hardly … I have no idea what I’m doing half the time and just go with it. With this baby bump of mine, I feel even more awkward when it comes to standing in front of the lens. Thankfully, Karen chimed in with some tips and tricks on how to best show off the bump & flatter everywhere else. At the end of the shoot I wanted to ask if her she could tag along on all my future blog shoots, her tips were so appreciated
I am so so thankful that we have these special photos to commemorate this fleeting time as a family of three. They are such a wonderful reflection of my little family, our love for one another, and our growing excitement for our baby boy to be joining us so soon!
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Does your family like to take professional photos together each year or to celebrate special milestones too? Or have you recently taken maternity photos? Let me know in a comment below!
