I don't know.
For some reason during my first pregnancy the idea of maternity photos didn't bond well to me.
Maybe I didn't think I was important enough. Maybe I couldn't find the right photographer. Or maybe it was that I wasn't thinking far enough outside the box to have a concept or visual for them that excited me enough to make it happen.
Whatever the reason, they never happened. Not really anyway.
I did end up with a few "nice" iPhone/self-timer photos here and there throughout it - so I can prove that it's happened and I've done it (pregnancy that is). And I did compel my husband toward the very end, when the "now or never" started clearing the horizon - to take a few, fairly unbeautiful photos - no fault of his own - the conditions were horrible - tiny bathroom, night time, tungsten lighting and a very tired pregnant me at the very end of the day.
So - perhaps needless to say - this time around I've realized the value of taking the time, effort and vulnerability to make some effort toward documenting and art-ing up this time of life.
Past experience (explained above) plus my sweet little lamb of a two-year-old was what I needed to get over myself and give in.
As the day approached, I'd had some concept in my mind of what I wanted these photos to be. More "family" with a belly sure to get in here and there every once in a while. I wanted a lot of love, snuggles and beautiful, poetic smooshing between my husband, our son, and me.
I drew up some ideas to help translate all this to Alicia who would be taking the photos for us. She's great for wrapping her mind around whatever wild ideas I bring to her. I challenge you to challenge her!
Two days before the shoot, with a few ideas and sketches out in the open (I should mention here that the sketches were also helpful to share with my husband - you know - being married and on the same page is always a good thing), I sat on the couch with my son. We'd found some stickers and were keeping busy peeling and sticking them all over the place.
After a short while "all over the place" became "all over my belly" and I realized this was the perfect scenario for taking some unabashed "belly shots".
I wasn't 100% sure a recreation could actually happen because, well, have you ever met a two year old? But luckily the sticker-phenomenon was still fresh and genuine two days later (really, you never know!) and we made some of the most beautiful and true-to-us photos of this pregnancy and I couldn't be happier.
Remember what I said about challenging Alicia?
