Not every maternity session needs a flowing dress on a windswept cliff. Sometimes the most meaningful photos happen right at your own backyard, writing a letter to a baby who hasn't arrived yet.


That's how this session began — at home in Pacifica, slow-paced and quiet. Laura and Michael wrote a note to their future son about how excited they are to meet him. We photographed the ultrasound images, the nursery-in-progress, the little in-between glances. These are the details that feel small now and priceless in ten years.


Then we drove ten minutes down the coast to Montara State Beach for the second half — because okay, yes, sometimes you do want the windswept cliff. Montara delivers: dramatic bluffs, a wide sandy beach, and huge Pacific views, all without the crowds of the better-known San Francisco beaches. Golden light, ocean air, and a lot of smiling at each other about what's coming.


This at-home-plus-coast combination is my favorite way to photograph maternity sessions in Pacifica and on the coastside — one half intimate and true to your daily life, one half epic.

 

Black and white photo of a man kissing a pregnant woman's baby bump during a maternity photoshoot.
Black and white maternity photo of pregnant woman in white shirt holding a rose against her bare belly.
A couple lying on sandy ground, sharing a tender moment, with the woman gazing at the bearded man beside her.
Smiling pregnant woman in white shirt and jeans gently petting a gray British Shorthair cat on her lap.
Black and white flat lay of ultrasound photos and a handwritten letter to an unborn grandchild from grandparents.
Black and white photo of a person writing in a spiral notebook with a pencil, viewed from above.
Black and white photo of a couple relaxing outdoors, pregnant woman lying on a couch with partner beside her.
A happy woman in a white shirt laughs while looking up at a man in a blue denim shirt in a cozy setting.
Black and white photo of a happy pregnant couple walking hand in hand on a beach with rocky cliffs in the background.
Black and white photo of a couple holding hands walking along a sandy beach leaving footprints in the sand.
Black and white photo of a happy couple laughing and embracing while lying together outdoors.
Couple relaxing on a couch, hands gently touching, wearing jeans and a white blouse with gold bracelet.
Black and white maternity photo of a smiling pregnant woman reclining against her partner outdoors near rocks.
Black and white maternity photo of a man resting his head on a pregnant womans belly with a flower decoration.
Black and white photo of a couple sharing a tender moment, man gently kissing womans head as she rests eyes closed.
Black and white photo of a couple smiling at their reflection in a round mirror above a wooden dresser.
A smiling man tenderly kisses a pregnant woman's bare baby bump outdoors, capturing a loving maternity moment.
Black and white maternity photo of smiling couple, man lying with head near pregnant woman's belly outdoors.