Day 197

This morning, I scheduled a photo shoot with the H Family, taking GothGirl along as my assistant.  You may remember the mom-to-be from my double maternity shoot back in June.  I wanted to include the rest of the family in some shots and today was one of rare times that our schedules jived.  Unfortunately it was hot and the sun was glaringly bright which made for some challenging photo scenarios, especially as the family only recently moved into this home which has little landscaping.  Despite the challenges, I wanted to do this shoot at their house so that the photos would be more personal to them.  It also allowed us to get some shots with the dad-to-be’s beloved tractor!

Thanks for a fun photo shoot, guys! 

Day 193

If you remember from one of last month’s post, I had a double maternity photo shoot with 2 of my friends.  Well, tonight I had a couples maternity photo shoot with one of them and her husband after work.  They live quite a ways away from me, but were in town for a doctor’s appointment; so we agreed to meet at my house after work because it was quick and easy.  Unfortunately it was super sunny and fairly hot and my yard does not offer that many background opportunities for a photo shoot (and those that I do have were in bright sun for the most part), but we decided to make the most of it.  It definitely helped to get more experience shooting under these harsh conditions.  Here are a few of my favorite shots of this cute couple who are getting ready to start their family.

I just love L’s smile in this one!  She’s such a natural with the camera….very relaxed and photogenic.

This shot was taken under the mimosa tree in our front yard.  The tree provided some much-needed shade and a great leaning trunk photo opportunity.  Plus, the sun was shining from the right giving this mom-to-be a nice warm glow.

L wanted a photo on our big tree swing.  The was sun casting some irregular patches of light due to the tree canopy which made for some more difficult shooting conditions.   

LilCrockett was watching as we took this spot, which sort of embarrassed L’s hubby.  Pretty cute how he has a bit of a blush going on (though I think it’s partly the heat as well!).

These next few shots were taken in my neighbor’s yard.  The hydrangea bushes made for a beautiful backdrop.

Is this not the cutest little baby bump?!!  I love how the green flowers bring out the green in her shirt.  And the turquoise adds some beautiful contrast with the brick and dark leaves.

Thanks L & G for a great shoot, especially in the heat!  I had a fun time photographing the two of you!

Day 172

Today I had the privilege of taking maternity photos for not one, but two of my dear friends.  These ladies are not only friends; but they are also my coworkers and they are due within a week of each other.  The extended grounds of our office offer some amazing photo backgrounds, so we walked out to get some shots. 

This was my first time shooting photos with my new camera and they turned out fairly well.  I am pretty critical of my work though and I can tell that my focus wasn’t spot on for several of the photos.  During this shoot, I could barely even figure out where the various settings were, so it was quite the challenge.  This was a test shoot anyway, so I’m pretty pleased.  I had never really set up a portrait shoot before, especially maternity shots, and I wasn’t sure how the poses and such would work out.  Having a double maternity shoot made it even more challenging, but also a lot of fun.  Here are a few of my favorite shots from today (I will be editing the first photo so that the sign on the right side is removed from the photo):