Shanna Chess Photography

 What a perfect summer session! I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer day than at the beach. One of the reasons I love Eugene, Oregon is that it’s so close to all kinds of fun outdoor activities. We’re an hour from the mountains in one direction, and an hour from the ocean in the other, so quick day trips to fun places are super easy. Sarah and Luke requested a beach location for their family photography session, so we met at Heceta Beach in Florence, Oregon last month. We got so lucky with the timing! The tide was out, and we found a bunch of tide pools that were just teeming with life, like big starfish and tiny little crabs. The kiddos and even dad were super interested in these natural wonders, so our photos took more of storytelling approach instead of a posed one. I love the spontaneity and family togetherness they convey! As a family photographer , I want your session to be genuine and reflect the unique and wonderful personalities of each family member. As such, alth

 August may have been a big month for maternity sessions, but I also managed to squeeze a couple of newborn photography sessions into the mix too. I love doing portrait photography of all kinds—maternity, family, baby and child—but there’s no denying that newborns are my absolute favorite to work with. There is just something so special about capturing that brand new life, and who can resist that newborn squishiness? This little cutie is Wren. She came in with parents Jen and Adam and big brother Bruxton for baby pictures around the middle of last month. It’s been a couple of years since I saw this family, so it was wonderful to be able to welcome them back to my Eugene, Oregon photography studio . I did Jen’s maternity pictures when she was pregnant with Bruxton, as well as Bruxton’s newborn and one-year photos, but he is a big boy now—all of three years old! I think Wren looks a lot like her brother did as a newborn. You’ll have to compare photos and let me know if you see the res

 Another gorgeous maternity photoshoot from last month! Sabrina is expecting a little one very soon and I was excited to capture this amazing time for her with a collection of professional maternity photos. As a maternity photographer I am always adding to my selection of outfits and backdrops. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make each session special and unique so that every client can choose exactly the options that fit their style. I had recently purchased an amazing gray backdrop with the most beautiful floral pattern that I couldn’t wait to try out with Sabrina. I was also excited for this beautiful mother-to-be to wear one of my new maternity gowns: gray with feathers. It’s a different style than anything else I have, and the feathers allow for three different looks, as you can see in the photos below: gown only, feathers only, or both together. They all look great! Sabrina had the most incredible red hair and I loved the contrast in our photos. My hair and makeup ar

  It was so great to see Amanda again at the end of last month! I photographed her younger son Asher all the way from her maternity photos when she was pregnant with him to his one-year cake smash. So I was super excited when I learned she was expecting another little one. This time—it’s a girl! I know mom is thrilled, as are dad and both big brothers. It was wonderful to be able to help them get ready with a beautiful maternity photography session for Amanda. I recently acquired some new backdrops for my Eugene, Oregon photography studio and I was so happy to try them out with this lovely lady. We used one of my white lace gowns for the backdrop with the leaves. It gave us a beautiful spring/summer feel and I love the lightness and elegance of the lace.  Since the leafy backdrop and lace gown was such a light and airy combination, I wanted to give this maternity photography session some contrast by using a darker setup too. Another new backdrop (this one a nice deep brown) with a g

 It was so good to see Megan again for this maternity photography session. And it was especially fun because the whole family was able to join us! Megan and DJ are expecting a little girl very soon, and older siblings Jacoby and Violet are very excited that they’re going to have a baby in the family. Although most of my maternity sessions focus on mama, it’s always an option to include your partner and/or your other children. It really just depends on your personal preference and the feel you’re going for. If you’re expecting, be sure to check out my maternity photo gallery for lots of ideas on different styles, indoor vs. outdoor sessions, milk baths and more! (I also did several studio maternity sessions in August, which I’ll be blogging over the next few weeks—so be sure to check back for more gorgeous pictures!) As a maternity photographer , I’m happy to customize the experience to suit your needs. This type of session really is all about you! For this mama, I knew she wanted t

 Hope you are all staying safe! It’s been a crazy week here in Eugene, with wildfires burning along our beautiful McKenzie River and smoke filling the skies. Definitely thinking of all the families throughout Oregon and elsewhere who are struggling right now, and I’m sending thoughts and prayers! With everything going on at the moment, I figured we could all use something to smile about—so here are some sweet baby pictures that will hopefully be a bright spot in your day. Meghann, Gabriel, Levi, and Bennett brought in new baby sister Isla last month for a newborn photography session. It was so good to see this family again, and what a treat to be able to have them all in the studio at once! I haven’t seen the whole family together since I did Bennett’s newborn pictures—and you can see from the photos that that was a while ago! I feel especially lucky that I got to be their newborn photographer again because they had actually moved away. But they were back in Eugene just in time for

  Tiffany and Andrew brought cute little Evelyn came back to the studio at the end of July for her one-year photos. Isn’t she adorable? I first met this little sweetie when she was six months old, and she is just as cute as the last time I saw her. Don’t believe me? Check out her six-month session here . I guarantee it will make your day! I remember Evelyn being a super smiley baby at six months, and she was a super smiley toddler at one year old. During this baby and child photography session she gave me these huge, toothy grins that I just loved. Although she hadn’t turned off the smiles at our last session, I wasn’t sure if it would be the same this time. Sometimes babies have developed a bit of stranger danger by the time they’ve hit that one-year mark. Not the case with Evelyn though! She wasn’t shy at all and had an absolute blast working the camera. As a baby and child photographer , I guess I should be used to how much these little ones change in a short space of time, but I h