Britt was the lucky winner of an amazing giveaway I ran in conjunction with two other talented Christchurch locals- Elena Jean Beauty and Flowers by Jasmine, and I am soo glad she won! Britt and her husband Callum were so friendly and warm from the very first email exchange, and so thrilled about the opportunity to have this special time in their lives captured for them. We met in the carpark at the stunning Woodend beach, and Britt popped on a beautiful blue dress before we walked over the hill together to the water.

We immediately chatted about their upcoming baby boy’s arrival, they were super excited just like most first time parents are, and their happiness was infectious as they spoke of how much they were looking forward to meeting him. There is just something so romantic about waiting for your first baby, and I genuinely love getting to interact with so many wonderful couples during this magical stage of their lives.

We started on the sandy hill near grassy tussocks, wild weeds, and looming deep green trees. Woodend beach in Christchurch has such a rugged and striking landscape, with lots of variety for a photoshoot. Britt had her flower crown provided by the lovely Flowers by Jasmine, which was a whimsical addition to her outfit and perfectly matched her ruffly blue dress, cascading dark curls, and bare feet. Her sister had done a beautiful job of her hair and makeup, which is such a nice treat before a photoshoot.

Every few steps was a new backdrop and different lighting to play with, and Britt had such a natural smile and relaxed manner the whole time (hopefully helped by my excited photographer energy and bad jokes). It was easy to capture stunning images of her right from the start.

We moved down towards the water next. I always end up with soggy jeans at beach photoshoots and I’m totally cool with that! I photographed her as she walked through the shallows of the waves, swinging her dress, and holding her belly tenderly in a way that seemed totally effortless. My photoshoots always involve lots of natural movement, and I’m always chatting away from behind the camera so you don’t have much of a chance to feel weird or awkward about any of it-in fact most of my clients say they found our time together super fun!

For variety, we did a quick wardrobe change on the beach. The Christchurch beaches are often quite quiet around sunset, so no one was around and this was easily done discreetly with the help of her lovely hubby! The next dress was one from my client wardrobe-a caramel gingham that fits most sizes, with an elastic neck that can be worn down low, showing off the shoulders for a soft feminine vibe. It looked amazing on her, and we did some photos without the flower crown to give lots of options for her gallery.

The sun was getting really low in the sky by this point, and just peaking above the tops of the trees behind the sand. This is my most favourite light to shoot in-super dreamy, golden and warm, but it is fleeting so you have to be quick with it! Planning for sunset is so important for your photography session, as factors like hills, trees, and sun direction play a big part in getting the right light at your specific location. This is something I plan for as part of all of my photoshoots, and if it is at a new location I am known to go and scout the area in advance or arrive super early to plan the best spots for us. 

When the sun had dipped behind the trees and the beach was getting dark, we headed back through the forest to our cars. I couldn’t resist stopping Britt for a few more photos as the golden light streamed between the leaves behind her. And lastly, I had a play with some gorgeous twirling images, purposely slowing my shutter to capture some artsy dreamlike moments.

If you are expecting and would love to book a pregnancy photoshoot with me you can get in touch here to make a plan x