Shanna Chess Photography

 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, ...

 Had so much fun doing this newborn photography session! Jacquellynn, Dylan, and big brother Eden brought baby Leo to my studio at the beginning of February for some newborn and family pictures. I did Jacquellynn’s maternity photos back in December (be sure to check out the blog post for her session if you missed it!), so I’d been looking forward to meeting Leo for a couple of months. He did not disappoint! Leo was amazing for me! Super sleepy and didn’t make a peep the entire session. Maybe he knew he was on video and decided to be extra good. 😊 I recently started a TikTok profile ( @shannachessphotography ) and decided to do a video of Leo’s session so I could share a sped-up, behind-the-scenes peek at what a newborn photography session looks like. The TikTok video ended up going viral, which I was totally not expecting! Over 6 million views. Leo is a popular little guy! It was really fun to have Eden there. I’m used to older siblings only being two or three years old, so to ...

 Looking forward to sharing these photos! These are from a super fun newborn photography session I did earlier this year. Arianna and Hector brought big sister Maya and new baby girl Penelope to my photo studio in Eugene, Oregon towards the end of January for some newborn and family pictures, and we had such a great time together! I love the name Penelope. This is a multi-lingual family (they speak English, Spanish, and Italian) so Mom and Dad told me they like to choose names that translate well into all three languages. I think that’s great! Really like how it gives equal honor and respect to all the different heritages in their family. Penelope was such a cutie! Loved all that dark hair and sweet baby fuzz. She slept wonderfully, so we were able to get a ton of variety and play around with lots of different outfits and poses. As a Eugene, Oregon newborn photographer with nearly a decade of experience photographing these little ones, I’ve learned lots of tricks for keeping b...

 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 so fun to have Fox and his mom in my Eugene, Oregon photography studio towards the beginning of this year. This little guy was absolutely adorable! Enjoy his photos! Fox was just perfect for me. Super sleepy, which makes my job as a newborn photographer so much easier. I’ve learned lots of tricks over the years, through both training and experience, to help babies stay happy during their session. And before parents come in, I send them a guide with tips they can follow before bringing their little one to see me to make it more likely that baby will be nice and sleepy at the studio. With full newborn photography sessions, we have quite a bit more time for feeding and cuddles in case baby is fussy. My mini sessions—like this one—are shorter, so it’s even more helpful when baby is calm. Fox couldn’t have been better for his photos! We did some naked shots on my white beanbag for some really clean, minimalist pictures. And I love the vivid blues mom chose for his swaddle pos...

 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 ...

 It’s been a while since I’ve shared any maternity photos on the blog—and even longer since I’ve had a whole family in the studio for a maternity photography session! So much fun! I’m excited to finally share the great photos we got. Jacquellynn wanted both studio and milk bath photos for her session. Milk baths are a really fun and beautiful option—something a little different! (Both my full and mini maternity sessions can include a milk bath option as an add-on. If you’re thinking about your own maternity photography session, check out the investment page for more details.) Dad (Dylan) and older brother Eden joined us for the first part of our session. We got some wonderful family photos—I love how they turned out! Expecting mothers often ask if their spouse/partner and the other kiddos in the family can join in for part of the maternity session, and the answer is, “Absolutely!” It’s wonderful to have all that family support when you’re getting ready to welcome a new baby, a...