If you are considering evening maternity pictures at the Elizabeth Gamble Garden, there are a few things you can do to make your session easier and more enjoyable. The Elizabeth Gamble Garden is a beautiful setting for maternity portraits, especially later in the day when the light becomes softer. However, the time of day, crowds, and the ages of your children can all play a role in how your session goes.
Here are a few tips I recommend keeping in mind when planning your maternity pictures.
Why I Love Evening Maternity Pictures at the Elizabeth Gamble Garden
One of the biggest advantages of scheduling your maternity portraits in the evening is the light.
In my opinion, the last part of the day typically has the best light for outdoor portraits. As the sun gets lower, the light becomes softer and much more flattering. This is especially nice for maternity portraits because we can use that light to create warm, natural-looking images.
The garden also gives us plenty of different backgrounds within a relatively small area. That means we can create a lot of variety without having to walk long distances between poses.
And when you are several months pregnant, less walking is usually a good thing!
Consider Scheduling Your Session on a Weekday
If you do not like crowds, I recommend scheduling your session during the week whenever possible.
Weekdays at the Elizabeth Gamble Garden tend to be much less busy than weekends. With fewer people around, it is easier to move from one area of the garden to another and create images without waiting for other visitors to move through the background.
A quieter garden can also make the experience a little more relaxing for your family.
Of course, weekends can still work. We may just need to be a little more patient when moving between some of the more popular areas.
Evening Light Is Beautiful, But Keep Your Kids’ Schedule in Mind
Although evenings typically give us the best light of the day, there is one potential downside if you have younger children.
Kids can be a little fussier in the evening.
Depending on the time of year, an evening portrait session may fall close to dinner, bedtime, or the time when your toddler has simply had enough for the day.
That does not mean you should avoid an evening session. Instead, I recommend planning for it.
Make sure everyone has eaten beforehand, bring a few snacks and some water, and try not to overschedule your child earlier in the day.
A well-rested and well-fed toddler gives us a much better chance of getting those fun, natural expressions everyone loves.
Set Realistic Expectations for Toddlers and Younger Children
If you are including a toddler or younger child in your maternity pictures, one of the most important things you can do is set realistic expectations.
Most young kids are not going to happily pose for an entire portrait session.
And that is completely fine!
In my experience, many younger children may only be fully engaged for about 30 minutes. Rather than trying to force them to participate longer, I like to make good use of the time when they are interested.
We can start with several family poses, get pictures of your child interacting with you and your partner, and then give them a break.
Sometimes the best pictures happen when kids are allowed to be themselves rather than being asked to smile at the camera over and over again.
Bring Someone Who Can Help With Your Toddler
If you are planning evening maternity pictures at the Elizabeth Gamble Garden with a toddler, one of my biggest recommendations is to bring a friend or family member to your session.
They do not necessarily need to be in the pictures. Their job can simply be helping with your child.
There will be portions of your maternity session where we will want pictures of just you. We will also usually take pictures of you and your partner together without your toddler.
Having someone available to watch your child during these poses can be incredibly helpful.
Instead of your toddler standing off to the side waiting for us to finish, your friend or family member can take them for a short walk, give them a snack, or simply keep them entertained.
Then, when we are ready for another family pose, they can bring your child back into the pictures.
This can make the entire experience much easier for everyone.
Don’t Expect Your Toddler to Participate in Every Picture
Another important thing to remember is that your child does not need to be included in every single pose.
Your maternity session is about documenting this special stage in your family’s life. That includes getting pictures of your entire family, but it also means creating beautiful portraits that focus specifically on you and your pregnancy.
We can typically create a combination of:
- Pictures of you by yourself
- Pictures of you and your partner
- Pictures of your entire family
- Pictures of you interacting with your child
- Natural candid moments between poses
Giving your toddler breaks throughout the session usually works much better than expecting them to participate from beginning to end.
Keep the Session Fun and Relaxed
The best thing you can do during evening maternity pictures at the Elizabeth Gamble Garden is to relax and enjoy the experience.
Your child may not smile for every picture.
They may need a snack.
They may decide that looking at flowers is much more interesting than looking at my camera.
That is all perfectly normal!
My goal is not to make your family look perfectly posed in every single photograph. I want to create a mixture of posed and natural images that capture what your family looks and feels like at this stage in your lives.
With a little planning, realistic expectations, and possibly an extra set of hands to help with younger children, an evening maternity session can be a fun experience for the entire family.
Planning Your Maternity Pictures at the Elizabeth Gamble Garden?
If you are considering evening maternity pictures at the Elizabeth Gamble Garden, I would love to help you plan your session.
We can discuss the best time to start your portraits, what to wear, how to prepare your children, and the different types of poses we can create during the session.
The goal is to keep things relaxed, have some fun, and create maternity portraits that your family will enjoy looking back on for years to come.
Feel free to contact me if you would like more information about scheduling your maternity portrait session!
