San Francisco Maternity Session | Whitney and Ryan

Over the last few years, I've crossed paths with Whitney and Ryan at a few of their friend's weddings, so to be invited to SF to photograph them in a more intimate setting was such a treat! The moment she sent her inspiration for the shoot; I was over the moon. Whitney shared 70's film-inspired photos, and together we created a laid-back editorial feel. Enjoy a little peek of their world…

“We met in college in Arizona, but didn't start dating until we reconnected after both moving to San Francisco (and spent at least a year becoming very close friends first!) Ryan was actually on Whitney's one way flight moving to San Francisco (she lived in Phoenix at the time and he was visiting family in Arizona) - they sat next to each other on the plane, he made her watch "How I Met Your Mother" sharing headphones, and asked her to be his date to his company's holiday party - the rest is history!”

We wanted to capture this special moment in time - it's a rare opportunity to be able to look back on our relationship "in between" being married and becoming parents. Being pregnant is a fleeting moment in the scheme of things, so we wanted to remember it with images that caught us at our best!

What are you most looking forward to as first-time parents?

Meeting our little guy for the first time and sharing in such a big love! Creating a life together and hopefully making sure he gets the best of both of us :)

What were you most anxious, nervous, excited prior to your session and what was the outcome?

Being natural in photos without liquid courage :) (we've always had a cocktail or two when doing professional photos!) Elsa made us feel so comfortable - we felt like we were just "hanging out" laughing together. Playing your favorite playlist helps!

Tips to couples planning a maternity photo session?

Find images in advance that inspire you - we wanted something a little less traditional, a bit moodier / funkier, and even at some point said "70s vibes in the park" (images with lots of movement, some blurred, film-esque look). We created a Pinterest board and shared with Elsa in advance - it was so fun to chat through the vision together! Also - choose a location that speaks to you. We spend a ton of time at the park by our apartment, and loved the idea of shooting there vs. a location with less meaning.

Thank you for inviting me to document a little bit of your world :) The best is yet to come!