Thanks for Reaching Out!
Collect Moments, Not Things.
Hey, new friend!
It's nice to meet you.
Thanks so much for reaching out and inquiring about a maternity and/or newborn session with me! I'm a Boston native and former OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner turned lifestyle photographer and new (ish) Texan. After spending most of our lives on the East Coast, my husband and I were ready for more Vitamin D and less shoveling, so we took the plunge, packed up our three kids and two dogs, and decided to call Austin our home. We love this quirky city and all of the amazingness it has to offer.
Most days you can find me drinking an iced lavender latte, listening to my daughter's Spotify playlist and wondering how the heck I got so un-cool, and forcing my pandemic puppy Aspen to snuggle. If there's a good bowl of pho within a hundred mile radius, you better believe I will find it. I'm a huge adventurer and love to travel, especially if it's to the mountains or the beach. I am the most extroverted of extroverts and have never met a stranger - my friends often say that I'm the type of person you feel immediately comfortable with.
Though I do give a couple traditional portraits, forcing everyone to smile for more than a few seconds just isn't my jam. It might be because I still have some PTSD from my itchy tights in the Olan Mills days, or also the fact that I've lost a parent too soon in life and know exactly how it feels to ONLY have images left of them to look back on. The images that I truly treasure of my own people aren't the forced smiles or holiday cards, but rather the way I held my dad's face and kissed his nose, or the image my grandmother snapped of my mom with her sisters laughing in the water one day at the shore. I strive to capture the love and beauty of your family so your memories are cherished in the VERY best way.
When it comes to maternity sessions, I aim to give you a session that reminds you of your LOVE, whether it is your first baby or your tenth. Though we will definitely have some traditional images, most of our session will be spent highlighting your connection and that beautiful baby bump.
I'm an Austin, Texas lifestyle photographer most passionate about capturing connection and emotion
My Approach
Having brought three newborns home, myself, I also know firsthand all of the emotion that comes with adjusting to a new family member. That's why I firmly believe that maternity/newborn photos should be a stress-free experience. My goal for every session is to capture the authentic joy, love, and connection between your family. I practice newborn lifestyle photography, which means that I capture your family in this season of life, just as you are. I do not intricately wrap or pose babies such as with studio work but instead take an approach that I refer to as "baby led posing." If your baby is awake during our session, then that is what we capture. Same with sleeping! Baby is the boss of our session, so I have us take the lead on baby's cues.
Styling is also one of my FAVORITE parts of photography, which is why I have poured my heart into curating a truly incredible client closet for moms, newborns, and children up to size 10. I love empowering you with the knowledge of what photographs best, what colors to stay away from, and making this a one-stop-shop to help elevate your experience.
Time is a thief, friends. These babies of ours just don't keep. Does this resonate with you? If we sound like a match, reach out and let's do this!
I was on the fence about getting maternity photos. I'm so glad that I did."
Jessica did an incredible job with our photos, but above all, she made me feel BEAUTIFUL. I didn't think that was possible at 34 weeks pregnant. Her talent blows my mind. We are so, so grateful.
“
beth s.
*You want an emotive session without the emphasis on posed images. You want a few traditional portraits, but you are seeking the rest of your gallery to be filled with snippets of love, movement, and connection. You crave beautiful detail shots and want to quite literally look back and feel like you were transported to the time of our session
*You trust my style guide and wardrobe options. You are looking forward to a Styling Session as part of your portrait experience and love the idea that I'm a one-stop-shop when it comes to portraits.
*You trust my guidance on when and where to shoot in order to get that dreamy, soft light you love in photography. For outdoor sessions, this means Golden Hour, which is an hour before sunset or right at sunrise. You're also down to travel a little bit for the right location when needed because you trust that I'm going to pick somewhere great that fits your family as well as that gives you the best experience and light. For indoor sessions, this means around 11AM in the best places for optimal light.
There are a lot of great photographers here in the Austin area. Here are some ways to know if I might be the right fit for your maternity or newborn portraits:
Am I Right for You?
*You aren't afraid to love on each other and are totally cool with kissing, hugging, and snuggling your people in front of my lens.
*You let the little things go. You aren't the person who is going to focus on every hair being perfectly in place or having wardrobes that constantly need to be buttoned, tucked, and adjusted. For outdoor sessions, you believe me when I say that a little wind and nature adds depth to your images. For indoor sessions, you trust that I'll place you in ways that will highlight your connection in the most beautiful way. You don't want to stress over the tiny details that have the ability to break your session experience.
I aim to give you a seamless experience from start to finish. Here's what to expect when booking a session with me!
Once you've determined that you're ready to book, we will secure your date with your retainer. Then, the magic begins! I send you a custom questionnaire so I can get to know you and your family in order to make your shoot amazing and personalized to you. For maternity sessions, we will then set up a Styling Session where you'll get to meet me in person and check out all of the great pieces in my client wardrobe. Think...dress-up for grown-ups! We will then work closely together on choosing the best location for our session. I'll send you a prep guide with all of our session details a few days before our date, and then the magic happens! You can expect your gallery delivery within three weeks from your session, with a rush fee available upon request. This is also a time where you can check out my newborn items and props in person, too. If you're booking just a newborn session, we can schedule a FaceTime or in person Styling Session where you are able to see all of the great swaddles, outfits, and lifestyle props that I have available to your family.
Twirling
Kissing
Hugging
Baby snuggles
Connection
And of course, some traditional portraits!
What to Expect
What does a typical session look like? Expect a lot of...
The Novella
Price: $675
The Novella includes your choice of 10 high resolution digital files & $50 in print credit
The Narrative
Price: $875
The Narrative includes ALL (~50) of your high resolution digital files & $100 in complimentary print credit
The Memoir
Price: $1175
The Memoir includes ALL (~50) of your high resolution digital files + $150 in complimentary print credit, and an 8x8 hard cover photo book
Session Fee: $325
the investment
The $325 session fee is a separate fee that covers Jessica's time and talent for working with you prior to your session, styling your family, photographing your session, and editing your images. This fee is required to reserve your date and is non-refundable. The minimum collection amount of The Novella is then due 48 hours prior to our shoot date.
About three weeks after your session, you will receive a slideshow of your gallery, where you will have 48 hours to view it before you decide which collection you would like. You are able to upgrade at this time. Each collection includes both digital images and print credit words prints and products that best fit your family.
If you are booking both a maternity and newborn session, you receive 10% off both packages as a thank you
If you are booking a newborn session, you have the option to add on a Short Story Maternity Session. These sessions are 30 minutes and come with 20 digital images for $695
A few weeks after our session, you can expect the very best images in your gallery to be fully polished and edited. They'll then be presented to you in a beautiful slideshow where you can really soak them in with your family. You're then able to upgrade your collection at this time, if desired. I also have a beautiful digital storefront of prints and modern products that you can choose from with your print credit. Why a print credit? Because I believe that beautiful family images belong on the walls and in your hands, not just collecting dust on a hard drive or generating likes on a Facebook post. Here are just a few of the custom products that you can choose from.
After Your Session
Any questions I can help answer? Ready to book? Just respond to our email, and let's do this thing!
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