The Case for In-Home Maternity Sessions

When you think maternity images, you probably think of women in gowns in the forest, right? In the Bay Area, I can even imagine what forest you are in. It's likely in the redwood forests of Marin or it's a eucalyptus forest of the Presidio. Don't get me wrong, I take my fair share of those images and I freaking love them. In fact, some of my maternity photos for my oldest baby were in a forest in San Francisco.

However, I also had my photographer take photos of us in our home for both of my pregnancies and those are the most meaningful images of that time in our lives.

There is something special about a session in your home in general, but especially when you are expecting. So much of your time as a pregnant person is spent in your home, likely on your couch, cuddled up with the biggest, most ridiculous pregnancy pillow around, watching Netflix. That is, unless you have other children, and then your time is spent trying to keep the house clean while also not breaking your back because you are carrying a baby around.

Either way, it's a time for rest and anticipation and reflection. At an in-home session, we spend time in your bedroom, and your living room, and your nursery and it's all so personal. I love a forest as much as the next person, but spending time documenting your home before your baby arrives in the same space you are going to bring that baby home is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal. So many people have excuses for why they don't shoot in-home, but guys, if you are waiting for your home to be perfect, stop waiting, it's perfect right now because you and your family are in it.

I know most people think of in-home sessions as just newborn sessions or day in the life sessions, but they aren't! This couple, for example, lives in LA. They wanted to do a shoot in San Francisco and when they told me their story, I knew just where to do it.

The mother-to-be was raised in an incredible adobe home on a ranch in Sonoma. Her family built the home from scratch and it was now a retreat property that they rent out. The main home is still theirs, however. When I arrived, I knew we had made the right choice. There were meaningful elements everywhere in the home, from the art, to the architecture, to the pottery. We spent time in her childhood bedroom and having coffee on the porch where she ate meals as a kid. Every single inch of that property is meaningful to her and now she has images of her expecting in that place. She will be able to show her kids these pictures of their grandparents home, where they will undoubtedly spend time, too.

So I urge you to spend some time really considering every aspect of your maternity photo location, instead of just how beautiful it is.

My signature maternity sessions in San Francisco and Marin can happen either in your home, or if your heart is set on an outdoor shoot, I have six amazing locations to choose from that cover so many of the wonders of the Bay Area that bring back happy memories for everyone who lives here. There is also a mini maternity session option that can happen at one of three beautiful Novato locations.

To read more about your maternity options, click here.

For more articles and tips and tricks for your maternity session including how to prepare, click here.