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The day before Charlie was born … my pregnancy photos

You are about to see a lot of belly. You have been warned. Sure, I could just show you a picture or two … but,  Katherine and Luke  did such a great job that I wanted to show all the different kinds and styles of maternity shots they took. There are black/white, close up and pulled back, alone and with Brian, or even super obscured. They just did such a good job of capturing the whole situation in such different ways. Clearly they love photographing and I couldn’t recommend them more.

Now maternity photos are tricky because you want to remember that belly without showing it off too much and being all Demi Moore about it. So the line between ‘tasteful’ and ‘tacky’ or ‘taking yourself too seriously’ and ‘silly’ are lines that you have to dance carefully. But you want to remember that time because the days before having your first baby are a strangely special time.

Emily Henderson Maternity

Luke and Katherine came in and shot the hell out of us – in the most fun way. They had such a great energy, full of opinions and were so enthusiastic. Plus they didn’t make me feel like an idiot. And when you are jumping on the bed, 9 months pregnant, in an unnecessarily fancy vintage kimono, you automatically feel like an idiot. So I really appreciated how easy they were to work with.
Emily Henderson Maternity

It’s so crazy that that night, 12 hours later, I went into labor in that same room. It’s just insane that little Charlie was just inside waiting to come out. Did he have any idea that day was his last day inside? Did he want to come out or was he warm and cozy and had every intention of waiting 10 days longer til his due date? It kinda makes me want to ball, actually, thinking that I was lucky enough to have this little being inside me for so long. I didn’t like being pregnant but now in retrospect I LOVED it. Once I saw him it made me so happy that he was inside me. I guess I just don’t have quite the imagination I thought I had.

18 hours after these photos he was on my chest …Emily Henderson Maternity

Emily Henderson Maternity

Emily Henderson Maternity

I will say that I got these taken in my 9th month (at 38 1/2 weeks) and it turned out great, but if you think about it earlier get them done in the 7th or 8th month. Generally you feel a bit more energetic and not quite so massive then. I know that I didn’t look that big, but I really felt it … so, just a tip from one pregnant chick to another …

Emily Henderson Maternity

Emily Henderson Maternity

Emily Henderson Maternity

Emily Henderson Maternity

Emily Henderson Maternity

Emily Henderson Maternity

If you are on the fence about having maternity photos taken, I get it. I was, too. The only reason I did it was because I have a blog and it seemed like something a blogger should do. So when Luke and Katherine emailed and showed me their portfolio I thought why not? I don’t have to show anyone if I don’t like them….

Emily Henderson Maternity

I’m soooooo glad I had them taken. If you are self-conscious, take really pulled back photos or get really close up on it – you don’t have to fully pose all boudoir style for the camera – it’s just about capturing something to help you remember that time.

I’m going to be a weepy mother, I will tell you that right now. When I first saw these photos I thought they were so beautiful and bright/fresh, etc, but now that I have gotten to know Charlie they are so much more poignant to me. When I was pregnant I was so excited for my future with him and I loved the idea of him so much, but it was too abstract for me to ever really get that moved about it. Now that I have him and I actually know him, I’m just so amazed and happy for my past self that it was him that whole time.  It’s not just a belly anymore – it was him. 

In short: take some maternity photos. Use fun filters. Get your husband to do it. You don’t have to hire someone to do it, really, it’s just about having a few shots of your future inside of you.

But if you happen to be in LA and want hire someone for maternity shots (or wedding, engagement, etc) I highly recommend these two. Photo credits: Luke and Katherine of Max and Friends

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