Shanna Chess Photography

Tiphanie made the trip up to my Eugene, Oregon photography studio from Grants Pass (which is also my home town!) for these maternity pictures. (I also did her newborn photos a little later, so keep an eye out for those in the next few weeks). It was great to spend some time with her as she was getting ready to welcome her new little one! Tiphanie had a ton of great ideas for her maternity photography session and knew exactly what she wanted. Almost all of the clothing we used in the session was her own, including a beautiful gold sari. While I love stylizing client sessions for them, it’s also fun when clients have so much vision for their own photos and I just put my own spin on it. It makes for some pictures that are totally unique to that person, and fully incorporates their sense of style. (That being said, don’t worry if you’re more the type of person who prefers to just leave it to the expert. As a professional photographer, I’m happy to give as much or as little input as you l...

As a Eugene, Oregon maternity photographer with a dedicated studio space, most of my clients come to me so they can have the full studio experience. But I’m also happy to travel to you! I’ve done several outdoor maternity sessions on the beach, in the mountains, and at various parks and recreational areas. It was really fun to do this particular maternity photography session at the client’s home. Sonia booked this maternity session for the end of May, when the weather was starting to warm up a bit. She has an area of her yard closed off where she keeps her hot tub, and told me she uses it as a calming space and often goes there to meditate. She thought it would make a great location for her maternity photos and I totally agree! Of course, one of the main things that makes somewhere a good candidate for a maternity photoshoot is the way it looks. I really liked the simple wood paneling that enclosed Sonia’s space. It made a great backdrop for photos with all the advantages of natura...

Hope you’re all enjoying the last week or two of summer! It has flown by so fast this year. (Who am I kidding? It always does!) Like most of you, I’m currently in back-to-school mode, figuring out schedules and supplies and all the other fun stuff. But none of that was on my radar when I did this maternity photography session back in mid-June! Corrine traveled all the way from North Bend to my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon —about five hours away! It’s such a huge compliment to have clients seek me out over those kinds of distances. It really is worth the extra travel time when you find a photographer you love. After all, these pictures are your forever memories—you want to be sure they’re exactly what you want! One of the things I love to do as a Eugene, Oregon maternity photographer is pamper my clients! As a mom myself, I know that sometimes giving yourself a little TLC can feel kind of low on the priority list, but it is so needed! Just one of the reasons I offer profession...

I’m excited to show off these gorgeous maternity pictures! Affinity and her husband Shawn came in last month for a session. They are expecting their 5 th child and this will also be their last baby, so they wanted to do something extra special. Since they hadn’t done maternity photos when Affinity was pregnant with any of their other kiddos, they decided a maternity photography session would be the perfect way to remember this special time of growing their family. I couldn’t agree more! One of many clients’ favorite things about their maternity photo shoot is the pampering that happens beforehand! As an expecting mother—especially if you have other children—it is so nice to get the spa treatment every once in a while. Moms, you know what I’m talking about! That’s why my maternity sessions include professional hair and makeup, so you can not only look your best for pictures, but really feel like you’re doing something special for yourself. Affinity told me she loved the pampering and...

 It was so fun to travel to Washington in April for my sister Lindsey’s baby shower! Of course, being a maternity photographer, I had to get some photos too. My sisters know that’s part of the package whenever we get together. And hey, there are worse things than being forced to have professional pictures of the big moments of your life, right? Lindsey is always such a good sport about modeling for me. I really wanted someone to model a couple of new maternity gowns I’d recently purchased for the studio (a white tulle and a gold sequined dress) so the first evening I was there we went to the beach so Lindsey could show them off against a gorgeous sunset. That part of the session was for me, and I appreciate my little sis being willing to let me do my thing! I love being able to use new dresses in photos right away so that clients can get a good idea of how they look. (Yes, I provide TONS of maternity gown options at my Eugene, Oregon photography studio. You don’t have to worry abou...

 Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope your week is going well. Just wanted to share these great photos from one of my maternity photography sessions a couple of months ago. Ashley, Eric, and big sister Merida came to my Eugene, Oregon photography studio in February to get some pictures before the new baby’s arrival. They are expecting another girl! It’s always fun to have the whole family there for a maternity photo shoot. We got some great couples shots of Ashley and Eric, some family pictures, and a few mom and daughter photos as well. Merida did such a great job taking photos with her mama. She is such a cutie and I love her curly hair. I can’t wait to see her with her new baby sister! We did a few different gowns—I have a whole closetful for my maternity clients to choose from! Ashley really liked the purple, and we also did a couple of neutral colors. Ashley also wanted to do some nude maternity photos, so we did a few of those as well. I especially love the one with the hat! I k...

 What a pleasure to have this wonderful couple in my Eugene, Oregon photography studio for a maternity photo session. Elizabeth and Dan are expecting a little boy and will be bringing him to see me for newborn pictures too. Can’t wait! Elizabeth chose some of my studio gowns for her maternity photo shoot . Clients are always welcome to bring their own maternity gowns if they have them, but I also have a large collection of gowns in lots of different styles and colors that mamas-to-be are welcome to use during their session. She looked great in purple and loved the flowing style of that dress, so we used my purple gown for most of our pictures. We also did some photos with my new mauve tulle (which has been a popular option lately) and I was excited to use my black silk tossing fabric for the first time! Tossing fabric is something that can really make the photos from your maternity photography session stand out. It adds a gorgeous, almost dance-like movement to your portraits, ...

 Delilah wanted a special maternity photography session for her last baby. I love that! Pregnancy is such a special time for a woman, and when you know that this is your last one and that this new baby will complete your family it’s a bittersweet moment. I think commemorating it with a beautiful maternity photo shoot is the perfect thing to do! Delilah ended up coming to my Eugene, Oregon photography studio on her own, but her husband wanted to be involved too, which is great! He ended up picking most of the gowns as well as the floral colors for the milk bath part of our session. Delilah and I started out in the studio and had fun playing with a few different gowns. I have a large collection of beautiful maternity gowns that are available to my clients—and I’m always adding to it! Whether you’re looking for neutrals and muted tones or bright colors, a sleek modern look or something more flowing and feminine, I can pretty much guarantee I have a gown that will suit you perfectl...

 It was a pleasure to have beautiful mama-to-be Bri and her husband Hunter in my Eugene, Oregon photography studio early this year for a maternity photography session. We started off doing hair and makeup with my go-to girl, Sami. I offer professional hair and makeup services with my full maternity sessions. This is a really popular option with clients! I want you to look and feel your very best during your maternity photo shoot, and provide not only hair and makeup services, but also a wide range of beautiful gowns so you can have the special, luxury experience you deserve. Once hair and makeup was finished, we spent some time in the studio for some couples photographs and maternity portraits of Bri. She chose my cream silk maternity gown, a new mauve tulle, and then a black strapless gown for a more modern look. I love the combination of different textures and colors. We finished our session with some milk bath maternity photos. Milk baths can be added to either my full or mini ...