A Celebration of Pregnancy :: My Experience With Ali Leigh Photography

Everyone thinks there’s nothing new about a third pregnancy, but you can always find a maternity “bucket list” item to check off your list. For me, it was a maternity photoshoot with Ali Leigh Photography. I love our family photos, but maternity photos felt like an opportunity to commemorate my pregnancy in a new way. Since we were having our third boy I was excited to do something different that didn’t center around trucks, dinosaurs, or the color blue.

Getting ready 

The afternoon of the photoshoot, my oldest son ran into me during a “hug attack” that ended with me having a swollen lip. I panicked and texted Ali a photo and she told me it would be just fine. Separately, she asked about my comfort level with showing my belly or skin in general. It gave me an idea of what we may do but left all the planning in her hands. I could come dressed comfortably because she’d supply clothing. The only true ask was that anything I wear underneath to be flesh toned. I could wear as much or little makeup as I wanted and wear my hair in a way that was comfortable for me. I brushed out my hair and applied my favorite lipstick, then iced my lip the entire ride to Belmont. 

Location and photoshoot 

We met at Rock Meadow Conservation — a spot that was about equidistant from our respective homes. In the beautiful fields, couples were taking engagement photos and cyclists were on every bike trail. The conservation has some picturesque areas and a thriving CSA on the property. Ali was warm and made me comfortable from the moment we met. She chose two dresses, one off-white and one pink/mauve, and both worked great with the scenery and made me feel beautiful. I changed quickly, and into the fields we went for our first set of maternity photos. 

Since we had arranged to meet before sunset, we had three different lighting options. The dresses she chose flowed beautifully in the wind and complemented me perfectly. I didn’t know exactly how to pose or move, but Ali gave great directions. Instead of feeling awkward and silly, I felt confident and relaxed — a huge win for anyone at 37 weeks pregnant.

My experience with Ali exceeded all my expectations for a maternity photoshoot. I would encourage anyone on the fence about a maternity photo session to see it as an opportunity to celebrate your pregnant body and yourself!