Cave Point Maternity
Cave Point County Park
Sturgeon Bay, WI
Meeting Hannah she knew exactly what she wanted for her maternity session. She had felt a deep connection to the wild beach of Cave Point during a visit with her sister and found out shortly after that she was pregnant with her first. If you’ve ever visited Cave Point you might be familiar with it’s changing moods and despite the cold weather, it was the perfect location for Hannah.
Historically, the Great Lakes used to be a thriving ocean and along the shore of Lake Michigan, you will find a variety of coral fossils, geodes. At Cave Point, there is also a geological shelf that extends far past the rocky shore, several cliffs, roaring waves, and caves that kiss the lake’s edge which can be explored by kayak or by ice in the winter. In any season it’s a majestic landscape that reminds us of how even something as ancient as the earth, or an ocean can change.
I think this made for a powerful location to photograph Hannah and her husband. In her session consultation, she shared that she liked a dark and saturated style, locations that transported their subjects, and incorporated loving touch from the father-to-be. We also learned that Hannah’s pregnancy was long awaited and that they had always dreamed of a large family but collected a big family of pets first. Knowing this made creating a powerful image of Hannah as she stepped into motherhood an amazing honor. You could tell that she was surrounded by a playful joy as we scurried across the rocks; Hannah, hubby, sister, assistant, and photographer across a treacherous shore in the cold wet weather. We all laughed down the challenging shoreline about how it was just like America’s Next Top Model, a whole cast with one “smize” to rule them all.
As much fun as we had powerfully trekking through cedar roots, rocks, and tourists it’s possible the most impactful part went completely unnoticed by most of us. It was that we repaired some of Hannah’s self-esteem. Many of us struggle with feelings of worth and body image, and pregnancy is a vulnerable time. I love that we could all play a part in welcoming Hannah to motherhood and celebrating her as the beautiful woman that she is without any fleeting shadows of wishing she were different. It often leaves my mind in the moments of being happy together, but I began taking photos to build self-esteem in others; it’s humbling that I can still fulfill that for my clients.
Let’s choose a location that’s as powerful as you are!
It all starts in the consultation; you can schedule a consult or use our contact form. I’m excited to tell your story!