Man oh man, after this photoshoot, I think have a thing for bare-bellied maternity sessions! To be totally honest, this was a shoot we threw together in a few minutes, and it honestly couldn’t have turned out better despite our chaotic little start. It’s really no surprise; Han and her littles could make dump look good, but we sure got lucky with the warmest Minnesota golden hour light over the prettiest little golden field.

Don’t forget about that second babe

It seems to me (from alllll my experience 😉 — meaning all my experience watching family and friends with their little ones, not my own personal experience) that the first kiddo tends to get most the attention. The progress photos, the memory books, the photoshoots, you name it. It makes sense that it happens this way because everything is so new, and by the second one, many have a toddler to chase around, too.

Han came to us (photo bestie, Mads and I) with just a couple months to spare before meeting her second babe and said, “Help, I have hardly documented anything this time around!” So we quickly ran out to a field at Minnesota golden hour to do exactly that. There is something so incredibly special about documenting your best gal’s expanding family. Not only will Han and Dan get to treasure these photos forever– looking back on the joy of their little dude’s curiosity and Han’s growing belly– but so will I.

Let them be little

One of my favorite parts of this session was letting baby Rigs do his own thing. He entered the shot when he wanted to and left it as he pleased. Allowing him the space to explore and then make his way back to his mama produced so many genuine moments between the two of them throughout this short session.

As you plan your own family session with little humans, lean into the idea of letting your kids be exactly that… kids. Sure, I always do my best to get at least one “perfect smiling at the camera” photo, but I promise you: If you let go of the need to have your child follow every direction, you won’t regret it. The photos will be that much more carefree and adventurous for it.

Kid led sessions are the best because kids are the best. They aren’t worried about bad angles or looking silly. They play, and they want you to play with them. If you show up to your session, ready to do just that, you’ll end up with a gallery of images that reflect your relationships and love for one another. How cool is that?!