When this beautiful mommy-to-be sent me her ideas for her glamorous maternity session, I was smitten. Take a stunning woman, a fabulous house in Land Park and some picture-perfect outfits, and you can make a very happy photographer! I think she looks like she could be right out of a magazine!
Got Frenchies?
Seriously, I’m soooo looking forward to their newborn session. What a darling family they will make!
How fun is my job? I get to document these two gorgeous people, being loving and happy in front of my camera! How cute are they?
Her maxi-dress was a great pick for her session – showing off her perfect little bump.
Went down to the river to catch the sunset light which was so pretty and a perfect backdrop to showcase all of the love and care these two have for one another.
Love the perspective of the train in this one – what a fun spot!
What a great pair of people to work with! I can’t wait to meet their baby!
“Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.” – William Hazlitt
If babies can choose their parents, then this one has quite a talent for spotting the good ones. This family is so full of love, compassion, kindness and all of those wonderful qualities that make them the amazing people they are.
I’m so excited for their newborn session — to see how their love and hearts will expand to embrace and welcome yet another wonderful person into their arms. And it doesn’t hurt that Mom’s name is “Grace”.
I’ve been back in town for a few weeks now, returning to all of the sweet and beautiful faces that I have the fortune to meet through my work. This fall looks like it’s going to be a busy one, so mini-session dates are going to be announced a bit earlier than usual, just to make sure that they actually happen, lol! If you’ve been thinking about booking a full session for the fall/winter schedule, please contact me soon so that we can be sure to get you on the calendar.
Because blog posts aren’t much fun without pictures, here’s one from a recent session that I’m in the middle of editing. It’s often difficult to blog about maternity sessions as they are usually first-time-moms and don’t always feel confident about having their pictures up for everyone to see. So we’ll keep this one anonymous…she was just too beautiful not to share. She knows who she is. 
When Amanda started to describe what she was looking for in her maternity photography session, I was instantly inspired. The moment said she liked sunset light and Anthropologie, I knew we’d be the perfect match from the get-go.
This location was perfect and offered all kinds of little details that were just lying around, like the little tea cup and saucer below.
I love it when pets are involved…they add that little extra kick of personality to the session. These three were especially good at seeking out odd little items and proudly bringing them to us during the shoot, lol!
My favorite kind of light, where it just kisses their shoulders and wraps around their faces. Lovely.
I think this is one of my favorite belly images…ever. Especially, with the little kiss of lens flare. Can you tell mom is a yoga instructor? She’s just so, so beautiful. 
To book your maternity photography session, give us a ring or shoot us email. It’s such a beautiful time of year! 916-933-8352 or info@jillcarmel.com.
- J
When Nicole explained to me that she wanted to do her pregnancy portraits at the Citizen Hotel in Downtown Sacramento, I couldn’t have been more excited! Their session was a perfect example of what fun we can have when we make the photography session a collaborative process.
As soon as I met these two, it was obvious what fun and creative people they are. We laughed till our sides ached, worked to a soundtrack of Lady Gaga, swapped silly picture ideas for Christmas cards and then laughed some more.
This shot is just one in a whole series, but I keep coming back to this particular frame because it shows how perfectly matched they are for one another — true best friends.
We took a break from the laughs to capture Nicole — goodness, she’s just stunning.
Okay…we couldn’t help ourselves…a little more silliness:
We ventured out of the room for a bit and found this awesome tiled wall just down the street.
I couldn’t have had more fun with this amazing couple. You can see how funny they are from this episode of DIY House Crashers that aired last August. CLICK HERE.
P.S. – It’s a super popular time for maternity and newborn sessions. Give me a call or shoot me an email if you’re interested in a booking a session. You can view more recent maternity sessions by clicking HERE.
When this couple said that they wanted their pregnancy portraits to be taken by the Sacramento River in Downtown Sacramento, I was so excited for their session! There are a bunch of fun little spots to use there — I thought this one was perfect with the signs above the door, lol!
This mom-to-be is so beautiful and glowing. She’s due to have her little one any day now (baby may even be arriving as I write this!) and I’m so excited to meet her!
Love this shot – she seems so happy to be right where she is in her life — look at that smile — just perfect.
See the *three* of you soon!
- J
belly grows.
family grows.
heart grows.
It is truly amazing how the heart seems to know no bounds. You think you love as much as you possibly can and then you meet this little person and your heart just expands to let another life into yours. This is the stuff of magic and miracles.
One of my favorites from the day…
Isn’t she just stunning?
They gave him a temp-mohawk for this shot. It was pretty cute and gotta love the look on his face.
A lovely, sunny, wrapped-in-warmth moment.
One of my favorite things to do is listen to people’s stories. Where did they grow up? How did they meet? I could listen all day long and I was thrilled when I found out these two were high-school sweethearts! I don’t know what it is about meeting in high-school and getting married years later, but I think it’s SOOOO romantic. And to top it all off, they are expecting their first baby — a little girl!
Mom is simply stunning in these pictures — the back-light in her blond hair and those sparkling blue eyes — beautiful!
We came to this park because it’s where they would come to spend time together when they were teenagers, looking out over the river, having picnics. I love the idea of incorporating those past memories with these new ones.
Dad told me, when were just starting the session, that he wanted the session to be all about her — aww, how sweet! I think I must’ve said “aww” about 50 times that days because there is a real, tangible connection between these two that anyone can see.
Can’t wait to meet their little one in March!
I wanted to share a few of my favorite images from a recent maternity photography session in Los Angeles with you. This couple was so much fun to photograph. They put their trust in me while at the same time bringing their own ideas to the table. I love the collaborative process as it helps me to understand better what people are wanting from their portrait experience while still allowing me the artistic space to create something beautiful for them.
Love the colors in this one.
Goodness, I think she’s just stunning.
Beautiful park in Marina del Rey that is a like a photographer’s playground.
Couldn’t resist having some fun with this one. I just love how tickled Dad is with the whole thing!
This is one of the most popular times of the year for maternity and newborn sessions. If you’re expecting and thinking about doing a photography session, now’s the time to call so that I can make some room on my calendar around your due date.
Enjoy this lovely weather while it lasts!
- Jill
