This was probably one of the most last minute bookings for maternity I've ever had at 38 weeks pregnant! Courtney and Sergio live just outside of Columbia, SC and frequently visit Historic Charleston. Being so close, they find themselves wandering the streets of Charleston on the weekends maybe more often than I do! They recently got engaged in Charleston as well, so the city definitely has some special meaning for them. So when they sprung for a visit here nearing Courtney's due date and got in touch I knew it was now or never to fit them in. She could've gone into labor any day now. 

Now 38 weeks is definitely further along than I would typically recommend since babies tend to just show up whenever they'd like. Usually I recommend booking around 32 weeks for a first time mom, and around 30 for moms with other children. But Courtney was feeling good and being that they don't live too far it was worth the shot for them to get their maternity session done. Since I had other bookings that morning I had them meet me where I knew my other session would leave off, right in the heart of South of Broad, on Church Street. This street is popular for its brick road and variety of textures. And for photographers, this spot is one to please during a late morning session given the little spots of shade. We started right at my favorite house on the corner of Atlantic and Church Street. This spot is so neutral but so rich in textures that it was perfect for their first outfit. I rarely have moms-to-be wanting to wear a black dress for their maternity but this classic pairing was perfect for their vibe, and super high fashion. 

I also brought along some dresses for Courtney to wear, the first she had on from my Client Closet was the Red Grace from Chicaboo. Courtney's complexion and hair color absolutely rocked this bright and bold color for her, she looked absolutely stunning against the faded brick roads and white, blue and pink contrasts around this area of Church Street. Part of my curating during your session is picking dresses that will stand out and go well with the backdrops we have in front of us or coming up. And that comes with just the experience and knowledge I have of this area of downtown. We can create a great flow of our session that is efficient, too.

Now most photographers cringe when they think about photographing in full sun, myself included. But sometimes you just have to embrace what you have to work with and here I really wanted to embrace this amazing wall and the shadows created by the overhead tree. When in full sun you can't really expect your subjects to look at the camera and not be squinty, so a good candid pose or looking off camera works really well here. 

This white dress here is the Lydia by Baltic Born, one of my favorites that works well for both maternity and newborn sessions. It's so versatile and again, Courtney absolutely rocked this style and color. Here I wanted to focus mostly on this grey neutral wall with that little pop of sun above them. This wall is directly across the street from the wall with full sun shown above so again, everything in this one nook is so perfect while providing so much variety downtown. 

You can't make it out of a maternity session with me without doing a couple serious, non-smiling faces. Sometimes even the request makes people laugh and I catch those amazing reactions. But when it's done like how I envision it in my head, it turns out like this. 

We finished our session with Courtney and Sergio just in what they would wear back to their car and for their breakfast downtown. A casual close to our (over an hour long!) session. They were such troopers for me, I was so obsessed with how amazing they both looked so I totally over shot. But as you can tell, it was totally worth it. We laughed together, got to know each other, and I can honestly say that I really hope I see that baby girl of theirs soon enough. I can't wait to watch this sweet family grow and become a part of my Photo-Fam!