When Breanne and Gary found out they were expecting their first child, I was beyond elated that they booked a maternity session with me. I was even more thrilled that they chose Carmel-by-the-Sea as the backdrop, an absolute dream location!
A beautiful maternity session and location, location, location!
Breanne and Gary hadn't been to Carmel when they chose it for their session, at least not recently. As for me, a So-Cali gal, I hadn't been there since a childhood holiday in northern California.
One thing I do whenever possible before every photo session is what I like to call "recon work" to among other things, scout the areas with the best combination of lovely lighting and a beautiful background. Since this was logistically impossible for this maternity session, I did the next best thing: extensive online research! Multiple google searches on the area, dives into local weather forecasts, and a few hours spent poring over maps and satellite images all paid off as I arrived with a several options in mind and a sense, albeit somewhat vague, of the areas we would be shooting in.
Breanne arrived looking beautiful and positively radiant. And I must say, I don't think I've ever seen a new Dad-to-be brimming with as much joy and excitement as Gary did throughout the entire session. They were both truly wonderful to work with and Gary had many wonderful ideas that richly contributed to this memorable photo shoot.
As we meandered through the different areas of our location it soon became apparent to me that both Breanne and Gary were often unaware of my camera, totally caught up in moments of pure joy that comes with the anticipation of the new life that's about to begin.
Take a look below at some of the highlights from our session ...
Post Script
It would be a little remiss of me not to mention that although Carmel-by-the-Sea is an absolutely a picture-perfect locale, on the day of our session the weather was completely overcast. On the bright side, the sky becomes a giant source of diffuse, soft light, which can be quite flattering. That being said, its also very flat lighting and well, you don't see a beautiful sunset. It's there, you just can't see it.
Taking a little 'creative license', I added a bit of sun in some of the photos above during the post production process. For their personal photos, Breanne and Gary preferred images truer to the actual day, picture-perfect proof that you don't need a 'perfect' sunset to capture meaningful and stunning images ...
I sure hope you enjoyed browsing Breanne and Gary's beautiful maternity session set in the charming town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. You might also like this beautiful maternity session in Montecito featuring a few of my best tips for a successful maternity session and this cool Ventura beach maternity session.
As a family and maternity photographer I’m here to help you achieve your photography goals, whatever they may be. I’d love the opportunity to help you plan your session and answer any questions you might have so please feel free to contact me.
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COMING UP in the next post: Family Photo Session in Ojai
About the Author
Laurie "LoLo" Spencer is a lifestyle and portrait photographer based in Southern California specializing in emotive photography for families, couples, maternity and newborns.