ANNA & AARON MATERNITY

When Anna filled out her session questionnaire, she said she wanted these photos to capture the love she and Aaron have built, the excitement of becoming parents to their baby girl, and the beginning of this completely new chapter together. She wanted to someday look back and remember how deeply their daughter was loved before she was even here. So we made a session that felt like Anna and Aaron.

We started outside with the tall grass, open sky, ultrasound photos, and all the soft, sentimental maternity goodness. Then we headed to Oakwood, our local tattoo shop where Aaron works — because when you have the opportunity to document this season of your life somewhere that's actually part of your story, you take it. And that's where things got a little more them.

A little moody, a little weird, and significantly less "pregnant woman frolicking through a field in a flowy dress." Which worked perfectly considering Anna told me beforehand to give her ALL the ideas. This was also Anna's first professional photo session, and she'd admitted she was a little nervous going into it. You certainly wouldn't know it from these.

Because yes, maternity photos are about remembering the belly and the anticipation and that tiny person you're waiting to meet. But they're also about remembering who you were while you waited for them.

And someday their daughter gets to see exactly who her parents were right before she made them Mom and Dad.