Creatively, in home sessions are my favorite thing to shoot.
This is Cara + Alex, Cara is my sister. I know you’re probably thinking we look nothing alike and you’re right because we are step-sisters. Though we have determined that our gene pool may be related somewhere down the line because we both have very similar wild n thick hair that looks exactly the same (minus the red tint for her haha) when in a bun. I’ve loved having Cara in my life and it’s been fun to be invited to document this part of hers as she grew and brought a new life into the world.
Just a heads up this post gets deep. If you’re not into the real shit then I’ll leave you with this: one of the things I absolutely love about shooting in the Detroit area is that the seasons are so distinct. So though both of these sessions (Silas in belly and Silas out of belly) were shot at Cara + Alex’s home, the home, especially outside, looks SO DIFFERENT! I love that the seasons are so markedly different (though I don’t miss that gloomy Michigan winter).
Anyway, I am particularly fond of in-home maternity shoots because they give an intimate look at the love that gave this being a chance to exist – doing half-naked maternity sessions in the forest with a flower crown isn’t my thing. And while that is beautiful for the right person, I love the simplicity and truth that being home shows.
For many of my couples, the road to creating a family hasn’t been easy, linear, or traditional. It hasn’t been all Baby Gap and weekly bump photos. For some, they didn’t know conceiving was possible. For others, it was an unexpected and unplanned for occurrence. Many are still waiting and for their miracle to come to fruition and even more have suffered a loss that no family should have to bear. Even though I lack personal experience with having a baby (a human one that is), I still know that pregnancy is complicated and complex- it’s stories are full of beauty, loss, fear, hope delivered and hope let down – and many times all of these things wrapped up in one. That’s the honesty and truth I hope to illustrate in my work always, but especially when it comes to working with women. Being invited in to illustrate the truth your stories hold is an honor – and also why I’ll never suggest a super formal & stuffy maternity session 😉
All of this to say, maternity sessions are so complex and full of story, which is maybe why I love doing them in the home. I love all of the stories, they all have value and are worth being told, regardless of how the story ended or is still left unfinished.
This is the story of Cara, Alex, and Baby Silas.
Baby Silas is here!
Came back in the summer to document life now that Silas is in the world. He definitely communicated to us that he preferred being naked outside over being clothed inside, living up to his name “Silas: God of the Trees & Forest”
