Maternity Session at Sunset | Hanlan's Point

For the most part, when I go into a maternity session—or any session, really—I have an idea of what to expect, but I try to keep myself open to all the unexpected moments and spontaneity because that is where the magic exists.

There is nothing more of a creative killer to me than having a shot list or planning every single moment. Nothing against lists or plans, but for photoshoots that are all about real, raw, and intimately candid moments, letting them be exactly that is how I capture them with full creativity and heart.

And this session…well, this session was the definition of magic & heart.

This maternity session was full of spontaneity, beauty, love, and—in every moment of my time with these two loves—I had the freedom to just lean into the moment and capture it as it was and as it felt.

It truly—honestly—might be one of my most favourite sessions, ever. I know, big words, right!? And I know we aren’t supposed to play favourites but this maternity session really did check off all the things I look for when wanting to experience that dream shoot—that shoot that is the reason I do and love this work. And those reasons might be different for each photographer, but let me tell you what they are for me.

First, it’s being of the motherhood genre. Since becoming a mom, anything motherhood just has my heart. I find it’s very hit or miss when women want to document their pregnancy journey, but I believe there is something so beautiful about documenting a woman on her motherhood journey. As her body changes and as she literally creates another life, I find it to be the most earth-moving event.

And, even though it’s such a short time—in comparison to our whole lives—for just 9 months or so, our body experiences this huge shift. Not to mention the absolutely incredible miracle that you are making a human! Like, a HUMAN! That’s some epic superhero stuff, if you ask me.

I will fully admit I was one of those people who loved being pregnant. Yes, I did have a beautiful motherhood journey at that time, for personal reasons. Don’t think it wasn’t hard or uncomfortable though—that never was omitted from my experience. I puked my brains out during the first trimester and was so swollen towards the end that my ankles looked like my thighs. Plus, that two weeks of being overdue wasn’t a party. But other than that, I did love it. And for me, it was the first time I had been comfortable in my skin in my whole 30-something years of life, so that is a huge part of why I loved it so much.

So, capturing another mama on her journey…well, it makes my heart skip a beat.

And capturing Sarah, who was so in tune with her own body—so confidant, so radiant, plus drop dead gorgeous—I was in awe of her.

The second thing is the love and connection between the people I’m documenting. Really describing the love and connection between Sarah & Andrew has been a hard one to really put into words as I prepped this post. To be honest, I just don’t think I can fully do it justice.

They showed me a whole other level of connection and love. It was big love and it was real. It was calm and gentle. It was exciting and full of passion. I loved watching as they so comfortably fit in each other’s arms and wrapped up together. There was so much play and fun. And one thing they did that had me smiling so much was this way they would talk around things not needing to really explain what it was they were saying or thinking. It was like they knew each other so well that they could finish a sentence without finishing it because it was understood. And it was never in an obnoxious way, just a way that makes your own heart skip a beat because you can just see how connected they are.

This third thing can’t always exist, as I don’t always work with people I’ve met before, but when it does exist, it adds a whole other little layer of sparkle. The third thing is the personal connection to the people I’m working with.

Going into this maternity shoot, I had only met Sarah once. She was at a concert sitting a few rows behind me. We were both masked (as the rules for the venue went) and I sometimes find that the whole mask wearing thing can be a bit of a disconnect. Other than that, we had only been in touch through social media and online. But, she totally had captured my heart even before this session. Andrew, her partner, I have known for a very long time. It’s been almost…14?…15?.. 16 years (I have been trying to do the math lately, but I don’t actually know what day of the week it is so let’s not be picky on this). But this person he is now is probably the most real and beautiful person I’ve ever known him to be. Together they completely make everything around them shiny & bright.

Fourth—light and water. I do not shy away from shooting directly into the sun. I do not shy from harsh shadows. I do not shy from capturing all the ways in which the light can add to a moment and how it can affect my photos. It’s this magical light source that has me constantly playing and working my creative juices. And water—anything by the water—puts me totally at ease while exciting me at the same time. Basically it’s a recipe for magic in my books.

Fifth—no expectations, just play. I think that one is pretty self explanatory.

We took a water taxi over to Hanlan’s Point and just played until the sun went down. We chatted. We laughed. We talked about the baby and we talked about their plans for the babe. We talked about them and about all the things. It was lovely and the kind of time together that makes you look forward to the next, even before this one has completed.

And it’s such a cool thing to know that this wasn’t just a hang out (although I’d hang with these two anytime!) but that it was this time in which we had a blast and also had photos of it all—and Sarah’s motherhood journey—was also captured. And what a cool thing to know that this is what I do for a living. These are the moments it doesn’t feel like work, not even in the slightest and it’s why I love this with my whole heart.

All these maternity photos are made with love because of how much I love this.

If you’re a mama in the Toronto area who wants to capture some of the magic of your motherhood journey with some sweet, real, and intimate maternity photos, I’d love to chat about a maternity session! It’s such a short period of time in your life and there are, literally, so many reasons to embrace it and soak it all up.