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High School Sweethearts Justin & Ashley | Love Story + a Miracle Baby Boy

Featured Natural Light, Outdoor Maternity Session for the Month of June.

Howdy, friends! Today's blog post is all about my favorite pregnancy portraits from the month of June. Ashley and Justin's photo shoot took place in northwest Houston during sunset. It also happened to be Ashley's birthday so it was a fun way to celebrate her that day! Cozy up and get comfy to see highlights from their session + for a little q&a. 

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How did you two meet?

We went to rival high schools, but we met in church when we were 15 on the Fourth of July. Later that summer, on Labor Day, we went bowling and started "going out". We've pretty much been together ever since. By the time the baby arrives, we will have been together 19 years (10 years of dating; 9 years of marriage)!

What is a favorite color in Baby's nursery?

The nursery is a monochromatic safari theme, but we did an accent wall in Sherwin Williams Outerspace. It's this dark, dark grayish blue. It's nice because it's a masculine color but it's also very soothing.

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What was the first thing Dad did when you two found out you're expecting?

It's hard to remember! It was a shock. Long story short, prior to getting pregnant, we were told I was in premature ovarian failure, and the chances of us conceiving with my eggs was around 5%. We were actually gearing up to start an IVF cycle at the time I found out I was pregnant. It was a BIG but HAPPY surprise. Hopefully Baby Boy won't be our last, but he is definitely our little miracle!

What is Baby's due date?

August 16th

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Any pregnancy cravings? Favorite meal?

I like to have vegetarian sushi or the Airstream Salad from Torchy's for lunch. Those are my GOOD cravings. But my most consistent, longest running craving is ice cream. We go to a lot of Astros games, and if you can't have a cold IPA, Bluebell in a cone is the next best thing :) I seriously eat ice cream almost every day. I think it's how I'm surviving the summer heat.

What are you most excited about in terms of being a mom?

To see different traits from my husband, Justin, and myself in our baby. I remember thinking I was nothing like my parents growing up, and now I see parts of my mom and dad's personalities reflected in me ALL the time. And to see his unique personality, what he likes, how he thinks.

Any fur siblings?

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We have 2 Toy Australian Shepherds; Rookie, our male that's 2, and Pip, our female that's almost 1. Her birthday is 3 days before the baby's due date, so hopefully she doesn't have to share her special day :)

 What's the first thing you bought for baby?

It's kind of a strange purchase, but I bought these animal prints that I knew I wanted for the nursery. They are gender-neutral, so whether it was a boy or girl, I knew they would work. It was kind of a celebratory purchase once we made it to the 11 week mark and felt we could breathe a little easier.

Do you have any nicknames for your baby bump?

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 Since we haven't decided on baby's name just yet, we have quite a few, but probably the funniest nickname came from our niece. She just turned 7, and is really into martial arts / karate, so she watches lots of that stuff on YouTube. From pretty early on, she has called the baby "John Cena". She says if we name him that, he will be the strongest baby in the world. It's kind of hard to argue with that logic! But it's stuck, it's a joke in our family now. 

See more highlights from their session:

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

 

Three Wardrobe Looks during One Maternity Session | Outfit Changes

Sweet lovebirds, Kendra and Mac, chose three different looks for their maternity session with Sarah Borchgrevink Photography! See highlights below + tips for styling.

Howdy, friends! Today's blog post is all about how outfit changes during pregnancy portraits. For instance, clients often ask what my policy is on outfit changes; do I limit them? Are they allowed? Have no fear! While one dress is perfect for a pregnancy session, I completely acknowledge there will be parents-to-be and expecting couples who would like to showcase more than one look. I love embracing your ideas and welcome outfit changes.

A few tips on styling:

  • Always start with the casual look first

  • Let your hair and makeup artist know you will be doing more than one look

  • Plan for changing time so your light looks wonderful throughout each portion

  • Wear clothing that represents your sparkling personality

  • Let your photographer know which look is your favorite so we can spend time as needed

Kendra and Mac are the sweetest lovebirds! Aside from being an adorable pregnant couple, they're also baby plan membership clients at Sarah Borchgrevink Photography. This in mind, I like to go above and beyond for parents who have booked not only pregnancy portraits, but also baby's first year of life. Of course, when you're a gorgeous as them any outfit looks great on you! 

For our time together, we used a location in Cypress, which is in Northwest Houston. We chose a sunset appointment so Mom and Dad could have plenty of time to prepare, especially since professional hair and makeup really enhance your session plus give you a huge confidence boost.

Outfit # 1: Casual T-Shirt and Jeans

The first outfit was a casual, simple look sporting adorable custom t-shirts saying 'new mom' and 'new dad'. These are great images for your baby shower, too! Having a new baby is super exciting and it's great to see parents who are proudly showing off their pregnancy!

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Outfit # 2: Cultural Reflection

The second look was still casual, and easy to change into, yet reflects this couple's culture.

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Outfit # 3: Formal gown attire 

Finally, the third look, seen below, is a formal and form-fitting gown which is a great addition during your pregnancy portraits! This shows your baby bump easily and truly highlights the feminine shape of an expecting mother. The warm, golden light looks fantastic behind Mom and even the wind helped us out by creating the soft, flowing hair below. Mom is truly radiant and glowing! This was my favorite look from our time together so we did lots of poses. There's a slideshow below if you're interested in seeing the full session!

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As always, friends, thank you for stopping by to read about a fun topic, such as outfit changes during your maternity session! I look forward to sharing photos of their newborn portraits soon! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Warmly,

Sarah

See the whole session before you go!

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

 

How to Rediscover a Location when Your Favorite Spot is Packed

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography shares tips and tricks on rediscovering and falling in love with hidden gems at your favorite location.

Good morning, friends! Greetings to you and howdy! Today's blog post is all about what to do when your session is not going exactly to plan. For instance, as a professional photographer, I have a great list of locations for my clients to peruse. It includes everything from downtown Houston and urban decor to rustic, rural fields and tree-lined paths. Part of designing a fantastic natural light, on location session is selecting the perfect location! After this, clients base their outfits and even hair and makeup around the look of the location. Typically, we arrive at sunset, or sunrise if this is your preference, and then have a dynamic, soulful session.

In this case, however, the client chose a popular location. It is totally swoon-worthy, so I get it. It's perfect. Why would someone not shoot here? 

I pull into the location and I can barely park. I feel a little bit of shooting anxiety starting to build up. There are at least 30 other cars there and all of my "go to" spots are being used. I had a succinct session flow in mind on what I was going to do with my client; the light is fleeting and I start to feel a little bit of pressure. 

I ask myself, "How am I going to create a gorgeous set of maternity photos when I cannot use the areas I like?" I considered moving locations, but then had a thought: look around. Let the light guide me. Find a new path. Check out what's around the corner. Don't let the client see you sweat. Be flexible and open to new experience.

For someone like me who is type A, that's easier said than done. Part of why I enjoy photography is having creative freedom. In this case, I was tempted to fall into old habits. But I took a deep breath, greeted my client, and told myself, "You will rock this session. This will be amazing." 

After all, if you're shooting a natural light, on location maternity session, such as I was, and you're in a public location everyone else has just as much right to be there as you. And that's okay. I take no issue with this. If anything, the issue was me being nervous to step outside my comfort zone.

But I did it. I discovered new parts of this location I love. I followed the sun as it set and let the golden rays showcase the beautiful love, bonds, and commitment between this expecting couple as we documented their pregnancy portraits. 

My tips and tricks to you are to be kind. Be open. See everyone for who they are and to not let yourself feel stress or anxiety when things don't go quite as planned. There is a whole world out there and even if 30 other people are using the same backdrop as you, make it your own. Use your artistic creativity and gifts to shine through. Rock that session and give your clients photos that last a lifetime!

Here are my favorite images from their session. 

Melissa & Brandon's Stunning Maternity Portraits in Houston Texas

This sweet couple is the best! Also: mom's gown is perfection! She selected from a list I provide on Top 10 Gowns for your session. We had an amazing time together and they were very genuine, kind, warm, and giving. I loved hearing about their daily lives, how they meet, what they do for a living, and even making friends with their adorable fur baby pup, Bailey. I will be seeing them this summer for an in-studio posed newborn session as they are belly and baby membership clients.

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Here's what Melissa and Brandon said about their experience with Houston Maternity & Newborn Photographer, Sarah Borchgrevink:

I am beyond thrilled with my maternity photos from Sarah Borchgrevink Photography!! Sarah is incredibly talented and kind. She makes everything super easy and stress free. I first saw Sarah's work on Facebook and followed her for years before we were blessed with our first little miracle baby. I immediately knew who I wanted to do our newborn photos. From our first contact, Sarah was professional but personal and very prompt in responding. She remained in close communication every step of the way so I had no questions or need to worry. You can tell that she truly loves what she does. Our maternity photos were gorgeous! She made me feel beautiful and captured the joy my husband and I feel as we cherish this precious time waiting for baby. There are so many amazing shots, I don't know how I'll choose which ones to display on our walls. I absolutely cannot wait for our newborn photos!

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Thanks for reading about how to fall in love with a location, even if your favorite parts are being used! If you are currently pregnant, feel free to shoot me an e-mail. I'd love to have you on my calendar for a gorgeous session and document this joyful time in your life.

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.