I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was.
After all, these guys have done much more daunting things than tackling a maternity portrait session along a canyon edge near a rushing creek. They don’t shy away from challenges.
Like the time they signed up to foster a rescue mama and her ten puppies in their 1200 sq ft home, for one thing.
I have to believe that it prepared them for the obstacles that lay ahead – surgery, visits to specialists, and treatments to arrive at a healthy pregnancy. Even then, it was a pregnancy with complications that required management, patience, and worry mitigation strategies.
Yet, here they were, breezily jumping over creeks and hovering precipitously on the edge of 50-foot canyon cliffs like it was no big deal.
Their sweet dog Cooper clearly got the memo about the family culture. He blazed around, often circling to plop at his parents’ feet to pose. With paws in perfect model position, he’d look back at my camera like, “OK, here I am!” Never once chasing after the many fun creatures that caught his eye, he listened attentively to his mom and dad with loving compliance.
He must know how lucky he is to be part of such a fantastic family. When the time comes, he’ll be a gentle, protective big brother.
Update: What Happened Next
After the maternity portraits, we did family portrait sessions to document newborn, 6-month, and 12-month milestones – this remarkable little girl’s first year.
I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to make art that celebrates this transformation. Watching them blossom into a family with a toddler has seriously warmed my heart.
From the start, Brittany would put her daughter in my arms and laugh while I stared, entranced by this newborn miracle. To be around her sweetness is a blessing.
And can I just tell you? How right I was about their dog, Cooper? He HAS been the best big brother to his little sister. I called it! 🙂
His little sister, in turn, has been a ball of sunshine right back at him.
One thing I’ve learned about this baby?
She seems to know her mission: to shine her light. ☀️
So, how did all this happen? We can credit this mom and dad with lovingly raising a fur baby and a human baby to be as delightful as anyone is allowed to be.
NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION
SIX MONTH PORTRAIT SESSION
TWELVE MONTH FAMILY PORTRAITS
FIRST YEAR BABY ALBUM
Flagstaff Family Portrait Photography • Flagstaff Maternity Pregnancy Photographer • Flagstaff Newborn Photographer • Flagstaff Child Photographer • Flagstaff Senior Portrait Photographer • Flagstaff Couples Photography
Kristen Dacey Iwai of KDI Photography is a full-time professional portrait photographer based in Flagstaff, Arizona with decades of experience. Making portraits of families, pregnancy, newborns, babies, children, and high school seniors in her downtown studio and on location, she serves clients from Flagstaff, Sedona, Tuba City, Winslow, Payson, Page, Williams, Prescott, Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona
