When Ali from Earth to Ali Photography first asked me if I’d like to do a maternity shoot with her, I was hesitant. I didn’t do one with Aria and I had no intention of doing one this time around either but after thinking about it for a while and remembering her slightly eclectic style and incredible eye for detail I agreed. And so here it is, my (ever so slightly) alternative maternity shoot.

Like I mentioned in my family Christmas shoot post, I don’t really enjoy having the camera pointed my direction; I feel very awkward and never know what to do with my hands, never mind knowing which side is my best. Ali is a genius at giving direction and getting the snaps done quickly, because let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than a photo shoot dragging on for longer than it needs to.

When we were discussing what look and feel we wanted to go for for the shoot, we both knew from the get go that we didn’t want to do anything light and airy. As beautiful as those pictures are, if I was going to do an alternative maternity shoot it needed to be exactly that, alternative. I love how Ali brought our vision to life; dark shadows and a touch of whimsical magic. Some of the photo’s really remind me of Never Never Land.

The dresses that I hired from Marlize Meeding were an absolute dream and can fit basically any figure, regardless of whether you are pregnant or not. The ethereal look was exactly what we were after for the shoot and the fact that Marlize was so accommodating with them going into the water was an absolute bonus.

Ali is going to be doing a shoot for us in hospital just after baby girl is born and I honestly can’t wait. Although they are two completely different styles of photography, the way she captures moments is incredible, have a look for yourself on her Instagram and Facebook pages. Total photographer wizard!

Photographer: Earth to Ali Photography

Dresses: Marlize Meeding

Location: Modderfontein Nature Reserve