Maternity photos are a love-hate for me. I love to take them because I want to remember this time. I hate to take them because I feel huge. With my first pregnancy, I chose to do maternity photos inside my house where I felt the most comfortable. This time my sister, an amazing photographer, convinced me to try some natural light outdoors.

So I found a flowy dress on Amazon and started putting my ideas on paper. It was super important for me this time to find a way to include my oldest son and my husband. I didn’t just want this to be about me. It was a big deal for all of us and we wanted to celebrate it that way. The only problem was I was super pregnant in the dead of the summer.

For our photos, we headed to much cooler weather in Mt. Charleston – just a 15-minute drive from our house in the city. The lighting and temperatures were perfect! We found a flat spot and tried to do some natural photos out in the forest. I absolutely love how they turned out. Here’s some inspiration for your next shoot.