Family and Maternity Photos in Topsail Beach

This sweet family is just delightful! They live in Maryland, and Mama has been traveling to Topsail Island since she was a kid. We are so fortunate to have so many dedicated families visiting our beaches year after year!

They are due with another little girl this fall, and wanted to get maternity and family portraits done before their older daughter started back to school.

We had so much fun capturing this precious time in their lives together.

This evening was one of a few in late August and early September this year that were exceptionally windy. We know that is sometimes frustrating when everyone is dressed up and especially for hair blowing all around. Like the humidity and sunshine with no shade, wind is just one of the elements we have to work around as beach photographers. The wind is another reason we ask our clients to meet us late in the day when the sunlight isn’t as much of an issue—because working around the sun and the wind can be extra challenging if we have to do both. We generally pose our clients so the wind blows their hair off of their face (and not in it!), and often enough that direction wouldn’t be the same as the direction we need to position if the sun is shining brightly and creating harsh shadows…

So yes, it was windy! But we were able to work with it with no issues because we weren’t also working against strong shadows from the bright sun.

Sweet, stunning mama did not want a picture by herself — and truly, I get it, because being alone in front of the camera is not always fun! I keep putting off pictures of myself until I lose all my baby weight, but my “baby” is three now sooo, I’m forcing myself to get branding photos of myself this fall too. It’s important, and just as I know my little ones love mommy just as she is, I also know this mama’s baby will love seeing how mommy looked when she was in her tummy!

She only let me take one, but Mama killed it! Gahhh, so gorgeous!

We also recreated a sweet pose they took when they were expecting big sister, and we definitely laughed together trying to figure out the pretzel hands this pose required.

However windy it was, the light was amazing, and we all enjoyed watching the colorful sky over the sand dunes and the ocean. Sometimes, you’ve got to embrace the elements and just enjoy the moment.

This is one of my favorites from the session, and the wild breeze really just enhances a perfect moment.

I hope they travel back to Topsail next year too, so we can meet baby sister!