Maternity session are wonderful in that they are always filled with joy. Funny how those babies do that to you. But there was just something extra special about this one.

Absolutely everything went right.

Let’s start with the weather. Washington DC is experiencing the coldest November in decades. The temperatures have been hovering around the low 40s. But last week (or maybe it was the week before) for one day, one glorious day, we had sun and 60+ temps. Combine that with the fall color and, well, boom! It was this day that I met this family.

The client got stuck in traffic so the photoshoot started right before the sun started to set — ah, the golden hour. This fall I have been starting sessions a bit earlier than normal due to potential cloud cover. It’s actually a really bad habit I need to break — but I do not think I have had one sunny Saturday or Sunday afternoon since early September. This session was on a Monday.

Even when we were exchanging texts, I felt like I knew this family for years. So I was not suprised at how completely easy they were during the shoot.

Finally, there was the new big sister. One look at these pictures and you will see how proud she was.

We roamed around Occoquan Regional Park on the best fall day of the year and it was a joy.

Funny, how meeting wonderful people can do that to you.

At the end of day the cold air came back with a vengeance, and I sorted through the photos sitting next to the fire. They kept me warm.