Coopers Rock has become quite the popular location for my clients and I. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been there numerous times, mostly for engagement sessions, and each time I return I try to use different areas of the forest for pictures. I don’t want to revisit the exact same spots each time…my pictures would look too similar! I need to keep the challenge of creativity alive in my shooting and trying to find new and unique backdrops at a location I go to almost monthly will do just that.

Such a challenge arose again two weekends ago. I met Jordan and Matt at Coopers Rock within 90 minutes of sunset and was excited for a couple reasons. One, it was my first maternity session at Coopers Rock. Maternity sessions have become one of my favorite things to photograph and I hope to do more of them in the near future. And two, it was a GORGEOUS evening! Do you remember that mid-April weekend when the temperatures hit 80 degrees in West Virginia!?! That’s when we met. It was warm and the sun was shining! The sunset hours made for some perfect, glowy light…one thing I love to have in maternity sessions…and really got me in a good mood to create some awesome portraits for these future parents.

While Jordan kept things fairly simple with just one outfit, she really spiced things up with some fun accessories and some killer facial expressions. She was both smiley and serious during the session, and both work so well on her! Jordan and Matt were incredibly easy to work with and I really enjoyed just hanging out and chatting with them…I felt so comfortable! They’re baby boy is due in June and we’ve already got the newborn session on the calendar, so you’ll be seeing these two again this summer. Until then, enjoy their beautiful sun-filled maternity session!

We took this shot within the first few minutes of shooting…and I was pumped to see how comfortable Jordan was showing off the “model face”…

A striking black and white portrait! Love it!!

I was SO impressed with Jordan’s “model look” here. Another striking portrait!

The light was so good to us that evening!!!

I used my Canon 70-200 2.8 L lens a good bit during this session, which isn’t a regular thing for me. I need to remember the beautiful bokeh the lens creates and use it WAY more often than I do! If you’re a portrait or event photographer and don’t have the 70-200 yet, definitely consider putting it on your list of things to buy next! The next two portraits were shot with the 70-200…

Don’t you just love the playfulness that Jordan’s floppy hat brings to the session!?!

Beautiful light and a beautiful subject! A favorite for me. 🙂

Then I asked Matt to join in and he did this…immediately. The cuteness was almost too much to handle for this photog! Great job, Matt! 🙂

Even though it was a busy day at Coopers Rock because of the beautiful weather, we were still able to find plenty of “empty” spaces for portraits…

OH THE LIGHT!!! Thank you, Mother Nature!

More beautiful bokeh from my 70-200 lens!!!

Another favorite for me! I love Jordan’s soft smile, the glowy light, the beautiful bokeh…

Hot mama-to-be!!!! 🙂

Jordan had one more accessory up her sleeve…this sparkly, trendy headband. Props to all you ladies out there who can pull these off!

One last stop at the overlook for sunset…

And this was Jordan’s idea! Playful fun with blue glitter since they’re having a boy! Very cool. 🙂

So was this maternity session warm, glowy and beautiful or what!?! Three things I love most about maternity sessions and we had plenty of each for this one! Jordan and Matt, thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of this special time in your lives. You guys were so much fun to photograph and I cannot wait to see what we’ll capture when baby boy arrives! See you in June and good luck with your final weeks before becoming a family of three. 🙂