3.26.22 – One year ago today, I was given the honor of snapping Courtney and Josh’s maternity photos. I didn’t know that this maternity photography session in San Fransisco would quickly become one of my favorite shoots of all time. Maternity sessions are always beautiful — but this specific session taken exactly one year ago today has a special place in my heart. Courtney was in search for San Francisco maternity photography and heard from a friend that I was a photographer, so she decided to reach out to book a session with me to celebrate the upcoming arrival of her baby boy.
Courtney and Josh were glowing throughout our time together (and not just because it was a golden hour session). While the backdrop of San Francisco was breathtaking, I found myself fixated on the happiness radiating from their faces. They were so obviously in love and showered their baby boy with all of it.
After I finally came around to posting the photos on my Instagram feed, I got a call from Courtney’s friend, who informed me that they had lost their baby. After almost 40 weeks of carrying him, Courtney gave birth to a stillborn baby on May 12th, 2021 and named him Luke William Norris.
As a maternity photographer in the Bay Area, I’ve captured beautiful photos celebrating the pregnancy of hundreds of women. This specific session has a special place in my heart because I had the privilege of capturing their short time with their son.
One of the reasons that I became a photographer is because I love to capture intimate and meaningful moments in people’s lives. Pictures play a significant role in capturing our special memories — they’re sometimes all we have left to look back on.
One year ago today, I didn’t realize that I was photographing what would be some of the only pictures this family would have together. I’m grateful that Courtney and Josh can look back on these special family photos with their son and smile — knowing that their rainbow baby is smiling right back down at them.
San Francisco Maternity Photography | Shefali Parekh
Book my most popular package: Bump To Baby! This is the perfect package to capture your journey from pregnancy to bringing your sweet baby home. Take a look at a recent in-home newborn session.
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