it’s approximately 6 weeks to baby girl and i am THRILLED to flaunt our recent maternity session, shot by melissa batista photography! read on for details on my looks, the studio space and melissa’s work – plus 25 of my favorite final picks!!! how will i EVER choose which to share on instagram?!
i found melissa the way i find most of my collaborations: by scouring instagram’s hashtags and locations! it’s a genius way of connecting with people who are in your area, especially creatives, and since instagram is a visual platform – if you’re looking for someone who specializes in photo/video, hair/makeup, styling, etc…. their professional pages are (literally) mini portfolios of their aesthetic and quality. basically: you know exactly what you’re getting when you reach out to them. i highly recommend utilizing instagram for your next big event… you’re bound to find vendors you never would have come across by doing a google search!!!
it’s time to first and foremost sing melissa’s praises. after one short phone call, she knew exactly what i wanted and our brain waves were aligned! working with her was an absolute pleasure. the turnaround time was right on target, and her gallery was FLAWLESS. she helped me utilize the space and feel comfortable and confident in my own (ever-stretching) skin. she’s a mom herself… so i have to say, it felt really good to work with another woman who could understand all the emotions and feels that are going on inside a third-trimester body. she helped me to feel confident & sexy and have fun with the shoot. if you’re in the nj/nyc area… shooting with melissa is an absolute no-brainer. she does all kinds of couple shoots, birthdays, babies & children… you name it, she shoots it – and if you give her a follow on instagram, stay tuned into her stories because she is always shooting at awesome locations!!!
after connecting with melissa, she told me about a website called peerspace, kind of like an airb&b for short-term studio rentals! you can find loft space for nearly anything: dance rehearsals, photo shoots, cocktail parties… the blank slate aesthetic was really what we had been looking for because i wanted this shoot to be about one thing: THE BELLY!!! so we kept the space raw, bare and simplistic. that’s when i found greyscale studios. i’m so excited to collaborate with them to offer my followers 20% off their next booking just by mentioning my name or my blog! the space has gorgeous natural light, giant windows, a few props and a couch to utilize (which really came in handy!) and most importantly the location could not have been better: right in the heart of hoboken, nj….. minutes from nyc! you get nyc vibes for nj prices, and we could not have been happier with the two hours that we spent there. i did my own makeup for this shoot, and there was even a pro-quality vanity with lighting that i could use to make sure this face was looking perfect and BEAT! (shoutout to my years of stage makeup & working for mac cosmetics that allowed me to do my own makeup for something this important!)
while i can totally hold my own in the makeup department… hair was another story, and i was thrilled to collaborate with drybar in hoboken for this shoot! their stylist vanessa created some beautiful “old hollywood” style waves and i’m totally going to have drybar (in summit) recreate the same look when i collaborate with them a second time for my baby shower! i was really happy with the outcome!
as you can see from the photos, i shot two different maternity looks! the blush lace number comes courtesy of my pals at pinkblush. i wore it with simple blush panties and a strapless bra. it was just the ethereal, earthy look i had been going for. to add some drama to the shoot, i also collaborated with sewtrendy accessories on their crisanta gown! they created a matching ‘toss train’ which tied around the waist. these photos would be SO different without the train!!! i’m so glad we went in this direction. to tie it all together, i’m also wearing a sewtrendy ‘camden’ flower crown. beautiful quality, with a bendable/adjustable back that ensures a perfect fit! and guess what!? if you mama’s to be are looking for a maternity shoot gown, my collab with sewtrendy is offering you 15% off your entire purchase, now through february 28th, 2019!!! use the code LIZEIDELMAN at checkout to receive this exclusive discount!
major thank-you’s to all the vendors that made this shoot happen. it really was a merging of creative minds, and i will cherish these photos forever. can’t wait to show my little lady some day. by the way… isn’t my hubby cute?! he was a total trooper during this shoot. now i have to choose which one(s) to blow up and frame!!!
in an off-topic but very important side note… i’m rebranding in 2019!!! i’ve decided to go by my name, so my new instagram handle is @lizeidelman. i have followed suit on twitter, and pinterest! i am in the process of redesigning my logo and business cards. once that’s all squared away, this site (and my facebook business page) will operate as lizeidelman.com! until then… hang tight and stay tuned for updates on the big switch!
which of these photos do you think we should print & frame? have you done a maternity shoot before? if so, what was your favorite part?
they are all so gorgeous !
Stunning!!!