The mommy and me session began with headshots

I made a model call for a Mommy and Me session, and it was amazing! Here's how it went...

My husband was pretty adamant that I get my headshots updated, but we wanted to try something a little different than the studio lighting.

So we decided to use the dining room where the afternoon light was filtering through the windows. We have all white walls, so the light just bounced around, making everything so soft and beautiful! I've designed my living room as a comfy zone, plus a great space to photograph in for certain sessions. It didn't dawn on me that the lighting in the dining room next to it would produce such soft photos.

After the headshots, I just fell in love with this incredibly soft look that we could get using just the window light! That's when I got the idea..

I started purchasing dresses for a Mommy and Me session.

I knew that I needed to keep the dresses stretchy and overall flexible for different types of sessions. Of course the Mommy and Me was the first on my mind, but I wanted to start collecting maternity dresses too. So each dress I made sure it could work for both! It was also important to get dresses that were light colored to keep the whole scene consistent.

Below is one of the dresses I purchased for the Mommy and Me sessions!

Next step, Model Call.

Instagram is a really great place to get to know people, but also to make these model calls!  If you haven't already, feel free to follow my instagram, I mean, that's where you might find a free model call or session;)

I mentioned the need for a model in an Instagram Story, and I got a lot of people messaging me immediately. So it wasn't even an official model call on Facebook or my website, it just kind of happened! Side note, I've got a few more special sessions planned for this year that I'll need models for. So keep an eye out for the announcements!

The baby was six weeks old!

So most of my sessions are in the first 2 weeks after birth, then starting again at 3 or 6 months to show how fast the little one has grown. It's so hard to tell a mom that we can't do a newborn session because their little one is just too old. But that's what's so amazing about this Mommy and Me session!

This session was a breeze, and it looked SO good! It got me really thinking about how this would be such a beautiful session for all my moms out there, not to mention it will look amazing as a printed canvas. All that beautiful contrast and brightness.

Yay for trying something new!

I've always wanted to do Mommy and Me sessions, but I've never really had such a strong vision that I wanted to explore with them. I think the takeaway is that I really need to explore, try a new style and look, and be open to new ideas.

I really love deep contrasty and cozy scenes, but I'm also falling in love with the bright and airy feels.  My maternity photography has been romantic and rich in tones, especially during summer and fall. So branching out into bright, soft, and airy was a refreshing experience!

So where does that leave the Mommy and Me sessions?

I definitely want to make this available!

On a personal level, I just love finishing one of these sessions, and seeing the results pop out at me when I go to edit them. There's a lot going on with the business right now, so it may take some time to make this an official shoot option, but it's definitely one of those "off the menu" items that I'd love to share;)

Check out this sweet momma's Mommy and Me mini below!