I’ve been documenting Bay Area families as a San Francisco Bay Area maternity photographer for over a decade, and the sessions I love most aren’t about the bump. They’re about the partnership, the rituals, the life you built together before baby arrived and are continuing to build. In this post I’m walking through what a lifestyle maternity session in the Bay Area can look like — from choosing a location that feels like yours, to what to do when you get there, to why including your people, your songs, and your everyday rituals makes for photos you’ll actually want to look at for the rest of your life. This family’s session at Coyote Point is the story that shows it.
This session is a good example of what that looks like in practice. This family chose Coyote Point, a beloved park with beach access and a wide, open view of the Peninsula. They came with a toddler who had opinions about everything, but quickly fell into a steady rhythm of humming and singing as they re-explored nature’s playground. It was exactly the kind of afternoon they wanted to remember about this season of life together.
This maternity session was a dream. I had a hunch that we would be a perfect fit within the first five minutes of our discovery call. Being that I lean hard toward lifestyle and documentary family photography, I’m always looking forward to capturing a genuine story that oozes personality and all the chaotic beauty that comes with it. And when the expectant mama emphasized that she wanted to celebrate the time they built together before their second baby arrived, I knew we were a match.
And so we visited their favorite park, played among the Eucalyptus trees, and made pit stops along the way to watch the low-flying planes and sing their favorite songs that they will inevitably be singing to baby brother, too — such a beautiful love letter for themselves and to their upcoming addition.
Choosing a Location That Feels Like Yours
The most meaningful maternity sessions don’t happen at the most photogenic locations. They happen at the ones that actually mean something to you.
For this family, that was Coyote Point. Not because it’s the most famous park in the Bay Area — it isn’t — but because it was theirs. It already held their story before we even started shooting.
That’s always my first question to expecting parents: where do you already go? Your favorite trail, your neighborhood park, your own backyard. The Bay Area gives us extraordinary options — from the eucalyptus groves of the East Bay to the coastal bluffs of San Francisco, places I know well after years of photographing families across the Bay Area. But the right location isn’t the prettiest one on my list. It’s the one that feels like yours.
Bring What’s Already Yours
This is the part most expecting parents overlook when planning a maternity session. They think about outfits, lighting, timing. What they don’t think about is what makes their daily life actually feel like theirs.
For this family it was music. But it doesn’t have to be. It can be the way your partner always fixes your hair before you leave the house. The game you play with your older child on walks. The ritual that’s so ordinary you’ve stopped noticing it. Bring that. Those are the things that make a maternity session feel like a love letter instead of a portrait sitting — and they’re the things you’ll want to remember most about this exact season of your life together.
The Quiet Moments Matter Too
My sessions are active by nature. We move, we play, we follow the kids and see what happens. But some of the most important frames come in the stillness between all of that.
A forehead kiss while the toddler is distracted. Two people standing together watching a flock of birds cross the sky. The way an expecting parent holds their belly without thinking about it. These aren’t planned — they happen because everyone has relaxed enough to forget the camera is there. My job is just to be ready when they do.
If you’re expecting and wondering whether a maternity session is worth it — this is why it is. Not for the posed portraits. For the proof that you were here, together, in this exact season, before everything beautifully changed.
One more thing worth knowing about.
Most expecting parents don’t know that cinematic family films are even an option. I didn’t lead with it because photos are usually where families start. But if you’ve ever wished you could hear your baby’s first coo again, or remember exactly what your home felt like the week you brought them home, that’s what a family film does that a photograph can’t.
If you’re curious what that actually looks like, Lucy’s story is a good place to start. Her film begins before she even arrived — and it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever had the privilege of making.
Things expectant parents ask me before we meet
What is a lifestyle maternity session?
A lifestyle maternity session is an unposed, activity-based session built around who you actually are — not a version of yourself styled for a shoot. Instead of directing you into poses, I follow your lead. We move through a location that means something to you, do things you already do together, and let the real moments happen. The bump is in the photos. So is everything else that matters.
When should I schedule my maternity session?
Somewhere between 28 and 34 weeks is the sweet spot. You’re visibly pregnant, still comfortable enough to move around, and we have a little flexibility if we need to reschedule. I’d recommend reaching out earlier than you think — Bay Area sessions, especially in fall, book up fast.
Should my partner or other children be included?
Yes, if that’s your family. This session is about the life you’ve built together, which means everyone who’s part of that life is welcome. Partners, older siblings, even a beloved dog. All of it is fair game.
Do you work with LGBTQ+ families and non-traditional family structures?
Always. Carmen Dunham Photography is a welcoming space for every family, every partnership, every path to parenthood. Your session will reflect your story, whatever that looks like.
Where do you shoot maternity sessions in the Bay Area?
Everywhere. I’m based in Alameda and know the East Bay well: Oakland, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, and beyond. I also know San Francisco well, having lived in the Mission District for 15 years. The Presidio, Lands End, Golden Gate Park — I know those corners the way I know my own neighborhood. Wherever your story lives, we can shoot there.
Ready to document your story before baby arrives?
You can see more of my work to get a feel for how these sessions unfold, or reach out to inquire whenever you’re ready. I’d love to hear about your people, your place, and the life you’ve built together.
