There’s a quiet kind of magic in those final weeks before a family changes forever.
This maternity session took place just before Christmas and New Year, that gentle in-between season where the house feels warmer, the tree still glows in the corner, and time seems to slow… even though everything is about to speed up.
Carissa and her family welcomed me into their home for a relaxed, at-home maternity session. Their four-year-old daughter brought curiosity and laughter into every room, while Bodie, their Springer Spaniel, happily followed us from sofa to garden, never far from the action.
And that’s the beauty of photographing families at home.
Nothing needs to be perfect.
Life simply unfolds.
Home Is Where the Story Lives
We began in front of the Christmas tree, soft lights, quiet smiles, little arms wrapping around growing bumps. These are the moments that don’t feel big at the time, but become everything later.
We moved to the sofa, where their daughter climbed in close, Bodie curled nearby, and Carissa rested gently into her pregnancy. There’s something so grounding about photographing families in their own space, where toys live on the floor, cushions are already moulded to their shape, and everyone feels safe enough to just be.
Outside in the garden, winter air on our cheeks, we captured movement and connection. Small hands reaching. Bodie racing past. That beautiful chaos that already hinted at what life will soon look like with a newborn added to the mix.
Holding Space for Motherhood
I always make time during maternity sessions for individual portraits of mum, and Carissa’s were quietly powerful.
Just her. Her bump. Her breath.
Pregnancy carries so much emotion: anticipation, vulnerability, strength, and a deep kind of love that hasn’t quite arrived in physical form yet. These moments matter. They deserve to be seen and remembered.
We also captured sweet individual moments of their daughter and Bodie, because every member of the family is part of this story. Soon, roles will shift. A big sister will be born. A dog will learn new routines. A home will sound different.
Because This Season Is Fleeting
At-home maternity sessions aren’t about perfection.
They’re about presence.
They’re about documenting the last chapter of one version of your family, before another begins. About holding onto the quiet mornings, the familiar cuddles, the way life feels right now.
Because this season, however tired or emotional or busy it may feel, is fleeting.
Soon there will be tiny cries in the night. More laundry. More love. More layers to your story.
And one day, these photographs will remind you of who you were before everything changed.
If you’re expecting and considering an at-home maternity session, know this: your home doesn’t need to look like a magazine. Your children don’t need to perform. Your dog can absolutely join in.
All you need to do is show up as you are.
I’ll take care of the rest
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