I have always been amazed by the amazing wonders a body goes through with pregnancy. Life is truly a miracle…
Although my pregnancy has been a bumpy ride due to having the same illness as Kate Middleton (hyperemesis gravidarum), I am beyond grateful that I was able to get pregnant so quickly and have a healthy pregnancy. I am very grateful the baby has remained healthy. I was so worried that me not being able to eat, drink and barley able to keep things down, that the baby was not getting enough nutrients. Little did I know the body works in mysterious ways and baby remained healthy throughout the whole 5 months of my hyperemmis gravidarum.
I contemplated doing maternity photos. My sister Kathy is fortunate to have a very talented photographer for a husband and he took some gorgeous shots throughout her pregnancy. (Check his work out gokenji.com). I knew if I did them, I wanted them to be unique and tasteful. I went back and forth and after speaking with some friends who encouraged me to bite the bullet, I explored maternity photographers. I came across Lola Melani and her photography blew me away. It was exactly what I had envisioned if I ever wanted to take maternity photos. Her work is elegant and timeless. She has a way of capturing and celebrating the beauty of pregnancy and I knew I wanted her to capture this special moment.
I cannot say enough about Lola and her team. They were so wonderful to work with. She suggests you take your maternity shots between 29 and 36 weeks. I was at 35.5 weeks when I had my memorable photo session at Lola Melani. I arrived at her beautiful studio in Chelsea and as soon as you walk in, there is this calmness that the studio exults. Music was playing, candles were lit, and it had such a nice warm ambiance that makes you never want to leave.
Lola and Eva, her super talented hair and make up artist were all set up and greeted me. We talked about how I wanted to wear my hair and make up and went over various looks I wanted to shoot. The two of them made me feel so comfortable and welcome, getting naked was no big deal.
I had such a wonderful time working with the two of them. It was an experience I am so glad that I went forward with and I could not have chosen a better photographer. If you’re ever in the NYC area and want a timeless maternity photo shoot, I highly recommend Lola Melani.
Visit lolamelani.com for more info and to see more of her portfolio.
