A Camber Sands Maternity Shoot in Rye, Celebrating a Long-Awaited Baby
A, C & S are a family I have worked with since I started photography. Documenting their breastfeeding journey and family time and time again. They’re truly close to my heart. Aimee and I have also hosted workshops together for other photographers. It only felt right to document their sweet growing bump now their daughter is growing up, at 6 years old she awaits her surprise sibling - a brother or sister? Everyone is super excited to find out.
Although it has not been a simple experience you get here, which is their story to tell, the excitement is tangible.
This artistic and sweet family are from Bristol, so travelled to Hastings and Rye to meet with me; our shoot began in Hastings in a beautiful period home overlooking the sea (these images will be available via my instagram soon!) and then leapt a few miles across to Camber Sands beach where we coincidentally did our first session together back in 2019.
Aimee wore a Doen dress, brown merino pointelle, layered with fluffy soft fingerless gloves, tall brown boots and an oversized formal coat. I’m really leaning into this at the moment - less flowing gowns more timeless and chic with a gentle fashion vibe. Think cinematic meets magazine shoot.
The dunes of Camber Sands are the perfect spot for hurling children into the air for dramatic effect and catching the most gorgeous light known to man with a panoramic view of the fields and Rye town on one side and the sea to the other. Just an hour and a half from Margate, Kent and the same from many parts of London it’s ideal for day trips or even just an evening of fun whilst we capture a memoir for you.
Aimees partner wore a cable knit with dark jeans, Dr Martens to match their daughter who changed from a Faune dress to khaki balloon jeans and a teddy coat. This casual look gets me.
We took plenty of opportunity to document the expecting parents together - this is how I run all of my sessions. If you have a wildling with a thirst for adventure I won’t make her stay close, she can play - explore- roam - all within our watch but we will use that time to connect the two reasons these little ones are here in the first place. You. Mum & Dad. Partners. A&C snuggled close to one another to take in the view as S tore through the dunes in delight, bringing us back shells for her sibling to hear the sea within the womb (which I imagine already sounds like the sea?)
The longest locks of hair slid gently between Mama’s fingers as she runs off to find yet another shell… or rock… or seaweed.
This image stands alone to me as an ideal winter bump. It’s too easy to forget its so different to a summer pregnancy. We should embrace this season and immortalise the pregnancy as such. Layers, knits, all of it. We can still find playful ways to expose the bump - we had done so indoors earlier in the day already so no need to out here too.
I’m so grateful to these guys for coming out once again so I could capture them in the first location we met at so long ago. We even recreating an iconic image of them running through the sand which is still circulating pinterest all these years later.
Thank you to the Kite, a paid actor, for this last shot.
Will travel to Camber for excellent clients who want epic photos! Just let me know