Core Memory: My Best Friend Took Our Maternity Photos

The pictures came out amazing and we had the best time taking them.

Expecting mamas interested in hiring a photographer to take maternity photos know (and if you don’t already, I’m here to tell ya) the service can be mighty expensive. Like, hundreds of dollars. Sometimes in the $1000 range.

Yikes.

Granted, I understand photography is a profession. I am also an advocate for artists deserving fair compensation for their work. However, I couldn’t justify paying half to nearly a thousand dollars for a half-hour to an hour-long session and only 30 prints. Not that my girl isn’t worth it. But, on top of a looming hospital bill, we just rented a townhouse with rooms that need to be furnished, and I’m taking 3 months off for maternity leave.

But it’s not just the money that concerned me. I’m not always comfortable in front of the camera. When I take photos for my newsletter, I’m the one in control. I’m the subject and the creator. I’m very particular about my appearance and my “best” angles. Plus, I had a vision! I wanted to take photos in a few different locations and outfits. I didn’t want to feel restricted. I also didn’t want to feel self-conscious. Being 9 months pregnant, I was already feeling quite vulnerable.

That’s when it hit me. Ashleigh.

Ashleigh and I have been thick as thieves since we were sixteen years old. She’s a brilliant makeup artist (check out her makeup Insta here), has mastered stitchery (check out her embroidery Insta here), and is amazing with a camera. She took a lot of photos of my baby shower, and they came out great. We’ve also done a few just-for-fun shoots together in the past. Asking her if she’d be interested in taking my maternity photos was a no-brainer.

Lucky for us, she hopped at the chance.

Our first order of business was to narrow down our photo locations. We decided on three: A reservation with beautiful ponds, brooks, and a bridge I liked the look of; Mark and I’s alma mater (we took our engagement photos there, so it was only fitting to take a few maternity photos on campus, too); and a park we frequented near our apartment. The second was to figure out our outfits - naturally, I color-coordinated Mark and my ensembles - and the third was to set a time and date.

We ended up scheduling our session for Sunday, August 11th. Ashleigh met us at our apartment around noon, and we headed to our first destination. I wore Bumpsuit’s The Maternity Dress in White ($135) to the reservation. It was a gift from the brand, and I loved how it hugged my belly. I wore it with a pair of white wedged heels from the Jessica Simpson collection I’d snagged for under $40 at Marshall’s last year (it appears they’re no longer available) and felt elegant. Mark wore a white v-neck and white pants to keep things a little more formal against the casual/serene backdrop, but I popped on this cropped, pink denim jacket with boa-like cuffs from Windsor for a fun contrast.

I thought I’d feel more self-conscious walking around a popular wooded hiking trail in an extremely form-fitting maxi dress and wedges, posing in front of the water and on the traffic-heavy bridge, but I wasn’t. I think I can attest my ease to being with two of my favorite people. Three, counting who we now know as Lauren in my belly. I’d also curated my look so meticulously, so I felt good because I thought I looked good.

It also helped that Ashleigh knows how to make us laugh and is such a relaxed, calming presence. She always has been for me, and when we’d stop to pose here and there, she made Mark and I feel like we were the only people around. Just three buds, out in nature, taking some fun photographs to document such a special time in our lives among the wildlife (and we mean wildlife - not only did we see many dogs, but we also encountered a snake!).

Our next stop was our alma mater. As much as I would have loved to run around campus and get a bunch of shots, our college is hilly, so we opted to stay in the center of it. We wore maroon tops and white bottoms, paying homage to our school colors, and took pictures at some of the college’s renowned landmarks: The arch and the mansion.

Unlike our engagement photoshoot, which took place in peak fall, amidst the hustle and bustle of students making their way from one class to another, from one academic building to one of the dorms, the campus was deserted on this August afternoon. We took our time, paused for a snack, and I felt no shame or shyness at my peeking belly.

It made me emotional to be back on campus, 11 years after Mark asked me to be his girlfriend in his dorm room, pregnant with our first child. I’m very outspoken regarding my feelings for my incredible husband, and to think back on where we started, to where we are now - almost 7.5 years married, successful careers, a lovely home, and a beautiful baby girl only he and I could have created, fills my heart more than I could accurately describe in words. Documenting another milestone where it all began just felt right.

Our last stop felt less public than the reservation, but there were definitely more people around than at school. It was a hot day, and we were debating even going through with part three of the shoot, but the park holds sentimental value to Mark and me, so we decided to pop by after all. I’m so glad we did.

We nicknamed it the “disappearing” park. We’d come across it by accident one day three years ago. It was evening, and we took what we thought would be a shortcut through a vintage-looking senior center. Color us surprised that, a ways through it, the walking path spits you out into a little sub-community of the town, where the houses are very close together, and look like something out of a movie. Or a pottery barn catalog. We loved taking a stroll through the area on Halloween night, snacking on bite-sized candy, and watching these hidden streets come alive with make-believe.

We told Ashleigh all about it as we paused along our route to pose. She had us mimic a few photos I found on Pinterest, but some of my favorite pictures were the brainchild of her talented eye.

From the time Ashleigh arrived at our apartment, to the time the three of us stepped back into our apartment, Starbucks in hand, we’d been out of the house for roughly 5 hours. Ash took over 300 photos. She edited and polished the best of them (over 50), but also shared her entire folder, in case I fell in love with something she missed.

Mark and I are beyond thrilled with how the photos came out. So much so that we’ve asked her to take Lauren’s newborn photos. When we look back on my first maternity shoot, yes we’ll remember how beautiful the final prints were, but we’ll also remember the laughter the three of us shared; the ease in which both myself and my husband posed for the camera. I’ll think back and smile, knowing the entire day was spent making a memory with my husband and my best friend, Lauren’s auntie Ashleigh.

How special is that?