li’l pun’kins • the buccolo family • palos verdes estates, ca

little ones, pregnancy, we are family

I had the pleasure of getting connected with Gina through our mutual midwife, Diane Dawson—& it’s always so wonderful to meet other moms through friends. Gina is a true Renaissance woman—a working mother who somehow finds time to take pastry classes & blog her thoughts & information about the sustainable lifestyle. And she manages to be super chill & easy-going too! Her husband Jeff & their beautiful boys Thomas & Theodore joined her for her Beautiful Belly Pregnancy Portrait session. We all headed outside in the glowing, late-afternoon light for a little hike down the trail. It was a gorgeous autumn afternoon—perfect for capturing Gina’s flowing hair, her pregnant curves, & the family just having fun together.

mama L. • beautiful belly extraordinary pregnancy portraiture • palos verdes estates, ca

pregnancy, we are family

What a spirited, energetic, luscious session I had with Mama L.! She is an actor & first time mommy, & her personality just filled up the room in such a warm & wonderful way. Being a performer, she was so game to play! And she was so grounded in her baby-bearing body, so full of life & the happy anticipation of being a new parent. I loved capturing her fiery red hair that was like an extension of her joy & movement. Even after only meeting her for one day, I can tell that she’s a force of creativity. And since our session, she & her husband have welcomed their baby boy into their lives–& he couldn’t have chosen two more passionate & animated parents. He is going to have a life filled with love & fun! Congratulations to you all! {And a special shout-out to Melissa Pizzamiglio for the gorgeous hair & make-up, & for getting me & Mama L. connected in the first place!}

mama s. • beautiful belly pregnancy portraits • palos verdes estates, ca

pregnancy, we are family

I am so in awe of the pregnant form. It’s a magical, biological wonder, & I love photographing it. I’m glad I am part of a movement that celebrates the beauty of this special time; since Demi Moore was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair twenty years ago (!), women in cosmopolitan cities & modern communities have been flaunting their baby bellies. No more tent dresses, no more muumuus, no more hiding the bumps (as if you could anyway after those first months). And more & more, women & their partners want to commemorate this fleeting time with pictures that feature the belly front & center. We take pictures of every other milestone in our lives from first day of school to prom and wedding, & for women, pregnancy marks the most major change that will have ever happened to us since puberty–a physical, mental, spiritual transformation that reshapes who we are forever. And the body leads us first with its metamorphosis–first the journey “up,” then birth, then the journey “back.” If you really stop & think about it, it’s nothing short of amazing that our bodies–& hearts–can be expanded so beyond limits of what we thought possible…& we can enjoy & revel in it so much.

Here are some highlights from my recent session with Mama S. & her family who are expecting their third baby. Gorgeous & glorious!

impromptu • cuevas family • pregnancy portraits

outdoors, pregnancy, we are family

Freedom lately has meant not having my youngest baby strapped to my chest at a party–because it means that I can snap away with my camera without the added 18 pounds of chub! And being more quick & agile on my feet means I’m able to take advantage of the gorgeous late-day light & the as-yet unphotographed belly of my friend Erin, who is due in August with Baby #3. We were both attending the birthday party for our mutual friend’s little girl, & as the day stretched out into the early evening, the sun stayed warm & hovered just above the tree line, bathing us all in the glow of summer. I had done pregnancy portraits for Erin almost two years ago when she was pregnant with Jack (the beautiful boy you see below), & this time, she didn’t have any real plans for formal portraits. So, I just asked her to stand in the sun for me, & I clicked away as she, Jack, & hubby Frank laughed & played & hugged (daughter Sienna was off with the other kids). And oh, how much I love these impromptu portraits…

And this was Jack, informing us all, “I’m tired…”