Some couples you photograph once. Others you get to watch build a whole life, and those are the ones that keep me doing this. Jenn and Gregg are in that second group. I photographed their waterfront wedding at the Chesapeake Inn back in 2022, then their first maternity session, and this summer we met up at the beach again for something extra special. A Delaware beach maternity session announcing baby number two, with their son along as the proudest big brother on the sand.
Here’s a detail I love about these two. They met online, and Gregg was Jenn’s very first match. Think about that for a second. Years later, here they are in soft whites and denim, chasing a toddler through the dunes. That’s the part of this job I love most. Life doesn’t stop after the wedding day, and I get to keep showing up for it.
We started in the dunes while the sun was still high and warm. Their son set the pace, and we let him. He ran through the beach grass, got tossed in the air by his dad, and climbed into his mom’s lap when he needed a break. We didn’t force a thing. With toddlers, the best photos happen when you follow them around instead of trying to steer, and he gave us plenty of real laughs to work with.
Then we gave Jenn and Gregg a few minutes to themselves, walking and dancing along the water’s edge once the light got soft.
The moment that got me was their son holding up the ultrasound photos like he was the one in charge of the news. A big brother announcement doesn’t get much more honest than that. I had to take a second behind the camera.
As the sun dropped, we moved over to the calm water on the bay side, with the lighthouse sitting out on the horizon. Jenn and Gregg waded in, the sky went pink and orange, and we finished with soft, close portraits, seashells resting on the bump, and a few silhouettes against the sunset. A good way to end a session, and a good way to start a new chapter for them.
What Made This Session Feel Like Jenn + Gregg
We shot around sunset, and the soft light and the colors over the bay did a lot of the work. Jenn brought two looks, a flowing white dress in the dunes and a crop top with denim for sunset, and the gallery almost feels like two sessions because of it.
We started with the kids while they still had energy, then grabbed a few minutes with just the two of them. The personal touches, like the ultrasound photos, made the images feel like theirs. Every family and every beach is different, so there’s no one right way to do a maternity session. This is what worked for them.
Planning maternity photos at the Delaware beaches? Whether you were one of our wedding couples or you’re finding us for the first time, we’d love to photograph this season for your family. We keep sessions relaxed and built around real moments, which is a fancy way of saying your gallery will feel like your life, not a photo shoot. Reach out to check dates for your maternity or family session.
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