We’ve had the pleasure of photographing Katerina and her now husband, Max, not one, not two, not three, but a combined total of four times now so when Katerina found out she was pregnant she knew she was headed back to the Allebach Photography studio in North Wales to have her maternity boudoir photos taken.
“This is our first child and I wanted to document how my body was growing and changing. This is also both of our families’ first grandchild, so it’s a major milestone for everyone,” Katerina shared with us.
Though the shoot was mostly for her, Katerina also realized this was one of their last opportunities to capture memories of just her and her husband, before they become a family of three, so we fashioned their session to fit their needs– part solo maternity, part couple’s, and we even threw in some bodyscaping.
“Life is going to be so different for us in about a month, so we wanted to capture a few last memories of just the two of us,” said Katerina, who was last in the studio with Max for an anniversary shoot.
“I was a little apprehensive about bodyscaping in the nude,” admitted Katerina. “I know that it can be done covered up, but I wanted to capture my body as it was. And I was starting to grow less fond of my body (mostly my boobs) as my pregnancy progressed, but three sessions showed me I was in good hands.”
Katerina’s first look was a black lingerie set under a white button-down in jeans while Max’s was a white tee and jeans. For her second outfit, she looked regal adorned in a crown and a white lace gown with an opening for the bump. Max then swapped into a blue button-down shirt and even surprised her by taking his top off for a few shots.
Though the session held a lot of meaning for the both of them, that didn’t stop them from getting a little silly, their favorite part of the day was laughing together while making funny faces at each other!
“Since we’ve been together for 13 plus years, we are in a comfortable stage of love. The session brought back a little bit of the fluttering exciting love from the early stages of a relationship.”
When asked to describe her favorite photos, Katerina says she was surprised by how precious the bodyscaping images were to her.
“While my favorite image is the one in the white dress on the lounger, the bodyscapes are the ones that hold a special place in my heart.”
For Katerina, this session checked off so many boxes, from appreciating her body and its changes through pregnancy, to falling in love with her partner of more than a decade all over again.
“I didn’t necessarily hate my changing body, more like appreciated it. But now I love it and see that it’s beautiful in its own way. I see what my husband sees when he looks at me. He’s been telling me I’m beautiful this whole pregnancy but didn’t truly believe him until now.”
Since their session, Katerina said she feels “a lot more in love with myself and my partner. Whenever I walk by the mirror now, I see someone whose body is doing something truly amazing and beautiful. And Max and I are more aware of expressing affection and love to each other.”
The couple chose an album, along with some prints that they plan to hang in their baby’s nursery.
“A few of the prints are going to be displayed in the nursery so baby E knows that they were loved from the very beginning.”
Whether it’s your first time with Allebach Photography or you’re a seasoned veteran like Katerina and Max, Katerina has some words of wisdom:
“Any session with Mike and Erika is worth it. The sessions freeze time and make it about you. They remind you that taking the time to focus on yourself, your partner, and your family is unquestionably important. Erika and Mike will take your vision and make it happen plus more. They take what you bring to the table and elevate it. Embrace those nerves, acknowledge what you might not love about your body (because we all have something we would love to change), and be open to learning to love yourself in a different way.”
Ready to book your own session? Call Allebach Photography at 610.539.6920 or visit htt://allebachphotography.com/contact for your free consultation.
Update since Katerina and Max’s session!
