I can’t believe the time has come for another maternity photoshoot. This pregnancy has seriously flown by (so much so that I haven’t even written about it on this blog, now that Instagram has become my predominant form of posting) – but there’s no better place to share a huge gallery than in this space right here, so let’s get cracking on THE shoot of all shoots…. what has become hands down my favorite photography session I’ve ever done.
Yes. I mean that. Out of all the shoots I’ve ever done, this (aside from maybe my wedding photos???) is my all time favorite. Jess of The Deerwood Co and I have been following eachother on instagram for quite some time now. I don’t even know who followed who first, but I knew she was located down in South Jersey and I always admired her gorgeous work and DREAMY boho aesthetic. I reached out to her about newborn photos, because I’m looking to do things a little differently this time, and we wound up talking about ALL things baby – including her farm, her studio space, and the fact that “Fresh 48” sessions are now allowed at my hospital again. One thing led to another…. and I booked Jess for all THREE sessions. (Maternity outdoors on the farm, Fresh 48 In-Hospital, and Newborn back at the farm’s studio space)
This is the first of the batch and holy crap I don’t even know where to begin. I “narrowed” this batch down to 122 photos. And then to 78. and Finally just shy of 50, which felt nearly impossible. Every single photo is gorgeous. The night of this shoot it was stifling hot. Poor Stephen was sweating bullets. Indie was tired (we did this at Golden Hour so it was basically her bedtime but she pulled through!). The farm is located in Jackson, NJ and it’s got some really beautiful nooks & crannies… most notably their lake, which I jumped right into for the photo-op. One of the coolest features, though, was a trailer in the field that Jess decked out in beautiful textiles, dried flowers & lots of pampas grass. I didn’t even ask her for this – yet here it was, just waiting for me to fall absolutely head over heels for this space.
We shot for about an hour. The whole time I’ll be honest – I wasn’t sure how anything was coming out. She was so casually snapping away, as Indie ran wild all over the place and I just did what I was told. I had three “looks” and only one of them was a dress that I brought with me, so half the time I was posing in something that for all I knew could have looked like crap. There was no mirror…. I literally changed into these frocks in the field and prayed that they looked OK. Not only did Jess make them look amazing, but I learned about each of the pieces that I borrowed from her Client Closet. She literally MADE THEM. The white lace number is quite literally old tablecloths from Ebay sewn together to make an adjustable dress that fits many shapes & sizes. Part of the charm of The Deerwood Co. is the fact that the extensive Client Closet is available to take all the stress work out of your photoshoots (should you decide you want to utilize it!).
When you work with Jess, you will literally feel like “Ok that was fun” and then when you see the photos you think “…. Is this what actually happened???? Am I remembering this correctly??” I have truly never met a photographer with a more natural and precise eye. Thank you doesn’t even cut it. As a soon-to-be second time mom, my body has changed a LOT. Actually…. my LIFE has changed a lot. It’s easy to go about each day caring for little humans and simultaneously forgetting to care for yourself. It’s also easy to forget how incredible our bodies are as we are growing a new life. I have never felt more beautiful than I do in these photos – and boy am I at a place in my life where that “pick-me-up” was welcome with open arms, and a full heart.
I could sing her praises all day, but I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves. Go follow The Deerwood Co. on instagram ASAP…. and while you’re at it, follow me too!
