Planning a January or February session? Here’s how we make the light, location, and cooler weather work for you.
Planning a January or February session? Here's how we make the light, location, and cooler weather work for you.
A winter maternity session in Orange County can be an afternoon on the sand, a walk under the redwoods, or an hour at home with the heat on. None of them needs summer weather. We'll choose the one that fits you.
I grew up in Phoenix and spent eight years in Portland, so I have opinions about what counts as winter.
Orange County's version is a jacket at sunset.
A few things do change, though.
The sun clocks out early
In early January the sun sets right around five. By the end of February it's closer to a quarter to six.
I plan an outdoor session backward from the light at the spot we choose. Trees, hills and cliffs all change when that light is at its best, so the right start time depends on the place, the date and the conditions. I'll give you an exact time once we've chosen the spot.
The upside is that you're finished before dinner. If a small child is coming along, that's worth more than any sunset.
At home the clock loosens up. We plan around the window light in the rooms we'll use, and I'll help you work out the best time.
Yes, the beach still works
A winter beach still looks like a beach: sand, water, cliffs, and a low sun when the sky cooperates. We work on the sand and barefoot, so wear shoes that slip off.
What changes is how fast it cools off once the sun gets low. Bring the warmest thing you own for the minutes between photos: a big coat, a blanket, your partner's hoodie. It comes off for the photo and goes right back on.
I can't order a clear sky or an empty beach, so I plan around what I can read: the forecast, the wind and the tide for our stretch of coast. Winter tides and storms move the sand around, and Strands in Dana Point can lose its beach entirely at high tide. We choose the spot and the time with all of that in mind, and leave room to adjust if the day changes.
One thing winter does add:
At Little Corona del Mar the summer sun drops behind the cliffs. In winter it sets over the water.
If the weather turns
It does rain here, and these are the months it likes to do it. So when we plan your session we also pick a backup: a different spot, or your living room. As the day gets close I watch the forecast for where we're headed. A change of plan should be a quick message, not a scramble in a parking lot.
Where should we go?
I start with you, not with a list. How far do you feel like walking? Big scenery, or somewhere close and quiet? Just you, or the whole household? Then we choose.
The coast. Little Corona has a long paved ramp and no stairs. Strands has a tall cliff and a lot of stairs. Both depend on the tide.
The trees. The redwood grove at Carbon Canyon in Brea is evergreen, so January looks like any other month in there. It sits in a valley, so the light leaves early and we start early. Trails can close for a few days after rain, and flat, shady Aliso and Wood Canyons is one that does. Green hills are a maybe. They depend on the rain, so I look before I promise them.
Your place. It gets its own section below.
The walks, the parking and the bathrooms for each spot are in my guide to where to take maternity photos in Orange County.
What to wear when it's cool
Winter is kind to maternity clothes. Sleeves, knits and ribbed fabrics have texture, sit close over the bump, and happen to be warm. A long-sleeved knit dress works. So does a gown, if that's you. A cardigan or long coat you like can stay on for some of the photos. Pick things that feel like you. We'll sort the outfit out together before the day, and the full rundown is in what to wear for maternity photos.
Bring whoever you want. Or nobody.
Partners and older kids are welcome for as much of it as you like. We'll make the portrait where everyone looks at the camera, the one the grandparents will ask about. Then I'll give you something to do: walk, lean in, let your kid run the show for a minute. I'll tell you where to stand and what to do with your hands, and leave room for whatever happens in between.
Coming on your own is just as complete a session.
Pets depend on the location and, well, on the pet. Ask me and I'll check the rules for wherever we land.
With the family at Serrano Creek Park. Solo on a quiet trail.
Or we stay in
Home isn't the rain plan, though it makes a good one. It's a first choice. It's warm. Nobody checks a tide chart. You're in rooms you know, on your own couch, at whatever pace the day calls for. If older kids are part of it, their toys and snacks are already there.
You don't need a finished nursery or a house that looks staged. Tidy the room or two we'll use and stop there. I'm after your place on a good day.
Picking a date
I usually plan maternity sessions somewhere between 28 and 34 weeks. That's my planning window as a photographer, not a medical rule. Send me your due date and I'll count backward. Due April 10? We'd look between mid-January and the end of February, then choose a day around the light, the tide and your calendar. There's more on timing in when to take maternity and newborn photos.
The practical part
A maternity session with me is The Picture Book: $650, about an hour, at home or outside, with help choosing the location and the outfits, and a full curated gallery, typically 75+ edited photos.
If you'd like newborn photos too, maternity and newborn together are $1,050, and each session gets its own full gallery. The newborn session happens at your home, and we set that date after the baby arrives. Here's what an in-home newborn session is actually like.
Tell me your due date, and we'll find the right date and location for you.
Send your due dateOr read the maternity session details first.
