Destiny Maternity

the view of the fall colored trees and mountains were so beautiful, and no picture does it justice!

Destiny! I love me some Destiny. She will say what is on her mind without a second thought, and I love her for it. I work with her in the NICU and we've developed a friendship over the last couple years! She's seriously one of the funniest people I know and a great nurse.

I remember when she told me she was pregnant; I was so ecstatic! She was planning everything immediately. I would tell her, slow down girl! You have time. But Destiny is the planner type. She wanted to be the upmost prepared and I respect her for it, because I'm the complete opposite. Haha, I was not prepared until I had to be. I think I had my hospital bag packed the day before my induction date because I procrastinate everything. We all need a friend that has their life together!

Destiny had decided on traveling to The Pretty Place Chapel to do her pictures and I was all for it. It was a two hour drive, and luckily my husband, Lee, was able to go with me so I wouldn't have to travel by myself. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. Could not have asked for a better day. However, what we did not anticipate, or maybe it was just denial when planning, was how absolutely freezing it would be in November and in the mountains at such a high altitude. When I tell you it was freezing, my whole body was numb the entire session! I felt bad for Destiny and Kris for having to not look miserable for the photos!

The Pretty Place Chapel is public and free to use when available. This is a common venue that can be rented out for weddings, so availability varies frequently. The chapel ended up only being open from 1pm - 3pm on the day of our session. If you've been following my past blogs, I've mentioned golden hour (which is 1-2 hours before sunset) is preferable for outdoor photography. When shooting midday, one of the key things to avoid is harsh light and harsh shadows on my clients' face and body.

When I shoot closer to sunset, the sun is soft and diffused, so it casts a beautiful and even light on my clients. Midday is more of a harsh sun than soft (unless it's a cloudy day, then it might actual be more ideal!), so I had to make sure I found enough shade for them when we were out by the trees and not under the chapel. We definitely made it work, and it brought along a lot of laughs when I was running around trying to get them in the right direction and catching such gorgeous and candid moments. Might have slightly sprained my ankle in the process, but it's all good!

I LOVED what Destiny chose to wear for her session. Such a fall inspired outfit that accentuated her baby bump so wonderfully! The green fit right in with the outdoors, and I will always choose booties for shoes to complete a fall outfit. I favor earthy and natural colors for my clients! Her patterned dress was also a great choice because it gives texture to the photo that captures the eye without it being too distracting. She looks warm enough in her sweater dress, but it was definitely not enough. When I wasn't actively taking their picture, her and Kris would bundle up with their large coat together to share body heat it was so cold!

I want to stress that the view of the fall colored trees and mountains were so beautiful, and no picture does it justice than seeing it in person. Truly one of the more stunning sights I've ever seen. I highly recommend making the drive to see it for yourself. I'd advice checking their website to make sure when it's open to the public.

I'm so happy I was able to shoot Destiny's maternity photos. This pregnancy was long anticipated and I had zero doubts they would be exceptional parents. Their love for each other was what I took away from our session the most. It was so cute to witness them together and see how much they care for one another. Isabella is going to be one lucky baby girl!