26 Jul Lavender Dreams and Baby Beams

Another dream maternity shoot! I’ve been following Light Livin Photography for a couple of years now, and I’ve always been amazed by how airy and bright her style is. She always finds the most beautiful backdrops, like seasonal flowers, and it all feels like a fairytale. As I’m in the middle of my pregnancy—when I truly feel beautiful—I thought it would be an honor to be photographed and documented by my dream photographer. I’ve always felt that a pregnant body is almost like a piece of art, and it deserves to be captured by a great artist.

I had an online consultation with Amber, the photographer, to decide where we’d shoot. We talked about the best timing during pregnancy for photos and what flowers would be in bloom. In the end, I chose Araceli Farm, with its unbelievably beautiful rows upon rows of lavender. I had no idea California had views like this—ones I thought only existed in the south of France. California never stops amazing me with the variety of breathtaking scenery it offers.

Now, the backstory of how crazy this schedule was. This lavender farm shoot was the day after my LA shoot with Oxana. So Katya and I had to fly from Idaho to LA, then to San Francisco—all within two days. I know… I’m crazy. But I wanted to save money by combining trips to California. By the end, I was exhausted, but it was so worth it! I had my hair and makeup done by Chantelle (Instagram: @beautyby.chan) and then drove two hours up to Dixon in a rental car.

When I arrived at the farm, Amber and her assistant greeted me. The first thing we talked about was how windy it was! I was afraid my fake lashes would fly away before we even took the first shot. I wanted curled hair for this shoot, but at that point, I thought my scalp might fly away too—no joke! Changing into my dress in the portable dressing room outside was almost impossible with the wind, so we stayed in the car as much as we could to get ready.

Honestly, even though the weather is out of our control, I was pretty disappointed. After all the money, effort, and travel—plus juggling a toddler—how could this happen to my dream shoot? I felt a little defeated, but I decided to make the most of it. All four of us, including Katya, kept a positive attitude. The photographer and her assistant kept cheering me on while I posed, and that really lifted my spirits. At one point, Katya randomly said, “My mommy is beautiful,” which was the sweetest moment.

After about three weeks, I finally got to see the photos—and it was all worth it! You can barely tell how strong the wind was or that sand was blowing in our faces. I’m so glad we didn’t give up and pushed through. This ended up being one of my favorite shoots with Katya, and I can’t wait to frame some of the images. I definitely want to do more family shoots with different floral backdrops in the future. Do you think it was worth pushing through the crazy schedule for this? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Mommy & Me outfit detail: My outfit was from photographer’s closet. Toddler cream butterfly dress by Nora Lee (exact here), Toddler white sandals by Cat & Jack (exact here). 

To pregnancy and motherhood,

Fatima

(PC: Light Livin Photography)