A solo maternity session is always fun (it turns into a lot of laughs and gal-paling around), but this one was especially meaningful because of why the photographs were being taken:

Hanayo’s husband is deployed, and is missing out on this extraordinarily special time of expecting their first child together.

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So she’s gifting him these photographs, allowing him to experience, in a small way, this time along with her.

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I’m always a sucker for military families (your can read why here), but this session was extra, as it was yet another reminder of the intangible, priceless gift of photography.

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Quick styling note: when Hanayo and I were planning her styling, she sent me a photo of a blue dress she had ordered, and though it looked lovely on her, it was a style I’ve seen many times in professional maternity photographs. I let her know I didn’t want her to look like everyone else, and so we selected this romantic prairie-style style dress together. Not only is it lovely on her, it also blends beautifully with the woodsy rustic setting.

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