There’s a version of maternity photography that gets a lot of attention online.
Flowing gowns in fields. Golden hour backdrops. Perfectly draped fabric and flawless poses.
And those images are beautiful. I’ve made many of them.
But that’s not the whole story of what maternity photography is, or what it can be for you.
In my 25 years of working with expecting families in the Saint Paul and Twin Cities area, I’ve come to think about maternity photos differently than I did when I started. I’ve come to see them less as a celebration of the bump and more as a document of a specific threshold in a person’s life.
The moment right before everything changes.
That moment is worth capturing. And it’s more layered and more meaningful than most people realize before they’re on the other side of it.
The Threshold That Maternity Photos Actually Capture
Pregnancy is one of the most significant physical and emotional experiences a person can go through. And yet in our culture, we often frame maternity photography narrowly — as documentation of the belly, the growth, the visible physical change.
But watch what happens in a maternity session when parents are truly relaxed.
I see things that have nothing to do with the bump.
I see the way a partner rests their forehead against a shoulder and closes their eyes for a moment. I see the particular expression on a mother’s face when she looks down — that inward, private look that has nothing to do with performing for a camera. I see first-time parents who still haven’t fully processed what’s about to happen to their lives, and parents expecting their second or third who carry a kind of knowing tenderness.
I see people on the edge of becoming something they’ve never been before.
That’s what maternity photos capture. Not just the pregnancy — but the person you were right before parenthood. The couple you were before you became three, or four, or five.
Why This Moment Deserves to Be Documented
I’ve talked to parents years after their children were born — parents whose kids are now in school, or teenagers, or adults with their own families.
When I ask them what photos matter most to them, the answers are consistent.
They talk about the newborn photos. They talk about the early family sessions. And almost every time, the parents who did maternity photos mention them specifically — not for what the photos look like, but for what the photos remind them of.
They remind them of who they were in that waiting time. The anticipation. The fear. The hope. The way their body felt and the way the world felt and the version of themselves that existed only in those months.
That version of you doesn’t exist anymore — and I mean that as a tender observation, not a loss. You became someone new when your baby was born. The parent you are now is a different self than the expectant person in those photos.
That pre-parenthood self deserves a document.
Maternity photos are that document.
What Makes a Maternity Session Feel Right for You
It Should Feel Like You
One of the most common things I hear from expecting clients who hesitate about maternity photos is: “That’s just not really me.”
And I take that seriously.
Not every person wants flowing gowns or elaborate setups. Some people want something simple, clean, and intimate. Some people want to feel strong rather than soft. Some people want their partner front and center in every image. Some people want to be alone with their bump, in their own quiet.
I don’t impose a style. I ask questions. I listen. And then I create something that reflects the actual people in front of me — not a template, not a trend.
Location Matters — But Not in the Way You Think
Some maternity sessions work beautifully outdoors — Minnesota offers stunning natural settings, and certain times of year (late spring, early summer, fall) lend themselves to outdoor portraits in ways that feel magical.
Other sessions work better in the studio — particularly in winter or early spring when the weather is unpredictable, or when the look and feel a client wants is more intimate and controlled.
I’ve made beautiful maternity images in both settings. The location matters less than the light and the connection. I can create warmth and intimacy in a studio the same way I can find it in a golden field at 7pm in September.
When we talk before your session, I’ll help you figure out which approach fits the kind of images you’re hoping for.
Timing: When to Schedule Your Maternity Session
The general guideline is 28 to 36 weeks of pregnancy — most often around 30 to 34 weeks.
At this stage, the bump is clearly defined and prominent. You’re still comfortable enough to move, position, and engage in a session without the physical difficulty that often comes in the final weeks. And you’re still far enough from your due date that we don’t risk scheduling conflicts if your baby decides to arrive a bit early.
If you’re planning to do both a maternity session and a newborn session, I’d encourage you to schedule both when you book. It ensures that your maternity session happens at the ideal time and that your newborn session is already on the calendar before the baby arrives — which removes an enormous amount of stress from those first days.
The Combination That Changes Everything: Maternity + Newborn
I’ve watched this happen more times than I can count.
A family does both a maternity session and a newborn session with me. When they receive both galleries together — or even just see them side by side — something clicks.
The story is complete.
You can see the roundness of the belly and then the weight of the baby in those same arms. You can see the anticipation in the maternity images and the arrival in the newborn images. You can see the same people, weeks apart, utterly transformed.
That’s not something you can recreate later. The before-and-after of that specific transition exists only once. Once the baby is born, the maternity chapter is closed.
Separately, both sets of images are beautiful.
Together, they’re something else entirely. They’re a beginning.
What I Want You to Know About Your Maternity Session
If you’ve been on the fence, let me say this plainly.
You don’t have to love the way you look right now. You don’t have to feel beautiful or photogenic or comfortable in your body. Some of my clients tell me their pregnancy bodies feel completely foreign to them. Some have complicated feelings about the changes they’re experiencing.
None of that disqualifies you from beautiful photos.
My job is to see you well — to find the light and the angle and the moment that shows the truth of you in this season. Not a version of you that’s performed or polished. The actual you, right now, in the middle of this remarkable and difficult and miraculous thing your body is doing.
I’ve never had a client come back and say they wished they hadn’t done maternity photos.
I’ve had many tell me they’re the photos they look at most — especially after the baby comes and that particular version of life is behind them.
This is your bridge. Let’s photograph it.
If you’re expecting and you’re on the fence about maternity photos, I’d love to show you what’s possible. Sessions are limited each month — reach out to check availability and let’s talk about what would feel right for you.
Maternity Session Pricing → Check it out here
