This is my third post in my maternity series.  You can find the Maternity Fashion: Dressing through the Trimesters here.  The fourth and final piece will be next month and all about postpartum dressing.

Maternity portraits have become really popular the last few years as well as birth photography.  It’s such a monumental time in your life and it’s so nice to capture it on film.  I am a big picture taker and we are adamant about getting family photos each year so I was happy to be able to capture my pregnancy as well as pictures of my birth and after the baby was here.

The choices these days with maternity pictures are endless.  From themed photos to family pictures to big family humor there is no end to what you can do with your pictures.  Just look at Beyoncé’s twin maternity session…  literally anything goes these days.  I love to have inspirations for photo shoots and I usually turn to Pinterest.  However for this post I decided to turn to my friends for the inspiration.  I am so lucky to be friends with several really talented photographers and love their takes on maternity photography.

My Maternity Pics…

When I spoke with Erin Troxclair about my maternity session I told her that I wanted it to be light and bring and pink even though I knew I was having a boy.  I am a boy mom but I am also very girly so I wanted that to be portrayed in my pictures.  I also told her that I wanted to be able to have a side by side picture of me pregnant and then the same pictures after the baby was born.  This was the end result….

One of my favorite things about this picture that happened totally unintentionally was the background.  When I took my maternity pictures it was fall and the leaves were changing.  When I took the picture the second time with Porter it was spring and everything was blooming.  The backdrop became very representative of my pregnancy and birth.

The Hollywood Family… The Sequel.

When I found out my friend Elsbet was pregnant for the second time I was ecstatic.  She is just about the cutest pregnant person on the planet and was a total rock star when she had her first baby two years ago.  Elsbet is the epitome of southern class and charm and I knew her pictures would be a true reflection of their amazing family.  When I saw the finished product they didn’t let me down.  But with a last name like Hollywood how could it ever be wrong…

Red was such a bold choice for maternity pictures but it works with Elsbet and her Audrey Hepburn-esque personality.  She is radiant in red and it just magnifies her smile.  Photo Credit Johnny Chauvin Photography.

Erika Pearce Photography… Fanciful and Dreamy.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Erika before she became the amazing photographer that she is.  Her personality is bold and bubbly and fun and you can see that perfectly in her pictures.  One of the things that I like about Erika’s pictures is the attention to details of the locations.  Erika isn’t just shooting your pictures in your backyard or in a park.  She is thoughtfully looking and researching a location that not only helps to tell your story but it truly magical.  She finds hidden gems I have never even heard of before and one is better than the next.  A picture by Erika Pearce really is a piece of art because with her eye, editing and location selection no two pictures will ever be the same.

The beauty of these pictures really can’t even be captured on the computer screen.  You can view all of Erika’s work on her website here.

Erin Cefalu Troxclair Photography… Fun and Family.

Erin has been our family photographer for several years now.  She has taken our family photos, newborn photos and maternity photos just to name a few.  I like working with her because she is a teacher and the most patient person I have ever met.  Her teaching skills are definitely put to good use when she is photographing my monsters.

When Erin’s best friend Ashley found out she was pregnant for the third time it was an opportunity for the two to get to work together and have some fun.  Ashley and her family are precious and have big personalities so it wasn’t going to be a regular photo shoot.  Their “What’s One More” pregnancy announcement was perfection.

View more of Erin’s work on her website here.

There are so many options, ideas and locations to choose from it’s easy to make your maternity pictures your own.  Think about what you want and then make sure you choose a photographer who has the same style as you.  Choosing a photographer that gets your ideas is as important as the pictures themselves.

XO,

Tippy