I recently did a maternity shoot with a lovely couple named Ryno and Paige, and their sons Trent and Troy, on a picturesque farm in Botha's Hill.
This couple had never done a professional photoshoot before, and although they were a little nervous, I could tell leading up to the day that they were motivated, easygoing and open-minded (the best types of clients).
Temperatures for the day were predicted at 35 degrees Celsius, with very little cloud cover - not ideal for an outdoor photoshoot. So I scheduled the shoot for the late afternoon, so that I didn't end up with a hospitalized pregnant lady and a melted camera!
First up was makeup: Paige generally doesn't wear it, but I suggested that she let me apply some natural-looking makeup because, from experience, it can really help to create some striking photos. I'm glad she trusted me because the results speak for themselves.
We headed down to a rocky waterfall - one of my favourite spots - and began with some solo shots of Paige. For someone who hadn't done professional photos before, Paige started 'working the camera' almost instantly.
I was worried that the boys, aged 8, would get bored while waiting around between photos, but they were loving the beautiful and serene location, and they happily entertained themselves. Freakin' little champions!
Next up, the boys joined in for a few family and couple photos on a quiet cul-de-sac lined with beautiful trees and autumn-style leaves.
We moved on to some lush green grass beside a dam carpeted over with green algae.
When the boys first saw the dam, they ran straight into the water, thinking it was grass, and ended up with wet jeans and algae up to their knees.
I love these images of the family sitting and laughing together.
We spontaneously decided to use a concrete wall as a backdrop (I love these types of walls for photography), and took these individual and group shots to end off with - I think we did more talking than photographing, but I took it as a sign of the great rapport we had on the shoot.
I look forward to working with this happy family again!
