Maternity in the Desert
Annessa’s Maternity Session.
Annessa and I talked about creating a maternity shoot that felt soft, airy, and with a touch of Taylor Swift. Something simple but poetic. We wanted the end result to be dreamy, feminine, nostalgic, and effortless.
She, her two sisters, and I drove out into the Arizona desert in search of some green life, whatever we could find in early spring. The landscape gave us exactly what we needed: bright green bushes, a cloudy overcast sky, and cacti standing tall.
When Annessa and I met, she shared with me that she did not want a shoot full of traditional portraits. She requested minimal focus on her face and more emphasis on the emotional details. I made sure to strike a balance: a few strong portraits that honor her presence, and plenty of cinematic, windswept frames where she looks away, hair blowing across her face, capturing the quiet, intimate moments she wanted to remember.
To bring warmth and storytelling into the environment, I brought a small collection of props to style the desert floor. I laid a crocheted baby-blue blanket with daisies, on top was a woven blanket filled with lace, and a small stool. These little elements helped us create a pocket of tenderness in the rugged landscape, soft against the sand and stone. Annessa brought her own meaningful pieces to help tell her and her baby’s story. She brought a pink sweater with the baby’s name stitched in, her most recent sonogram, and a personalized baby book.
To really capture that Taylor Swift inspired mood instead of bold poses or dramatic direction, the tone of this session was slow, romantic, and thoughtful. We got lucky, and there was a breeze, which can be rare in Arizona! I made sure to keep editing light and airy, and to capture Annessa as she really was at this stage in her pregnancy. This session felt like a love letter to the baby, to motherhood, and to this quiet in-between moment before everything changes.
