A hot summer's afternoon...
...drenched in sweat as we hiked through the Brighton Dam Azalea Garden in Olney, MD, I became aware that what I was asking might've been a little much for a pregnant woman in her third trimester. The steep steps down the path required Ashley's partner, Emmanuel's complete support (in this case, somewhat literally!) and I checked in to ask if Ashley wanted to continue to hike down. Each of us were uncomfortably damp on the 95 degree July day, but I at least had the privilege of not being on camera. With the acknowledgement that the photos would be worth it for how beautifully they turned out, we braved the steamy slopes and hiked to the most scenic locations.
I think it's safe to say we were right: the photos were absolutely worth it.
As we packed up and walked back to our cars, we realized that there was a less steep path we could've taken the whole time. Irony and lessons learned aside, the path we traveled made the photos what they are. There's something to be said about the look of exasperated triumph on someone's face when they reach their destination. This is the look I want to capture in photos that are meant to show radical self-love, such as maternity photos. Our journey made it all the more real.
Photos by Joey Rushfield Photography
Makeup by Logan Nicole MUA
Hair by KolorMeRaw
