pregnant mom and husband swinging toddler girl.

Maternity

Them Before Baby-San Francisco Bay Area Maternity Session

January 23, 2024

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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.

Thank you, C+J, for savoring and sharing your story with me. It means the world.

About Me

Real people are my favorite.

It's why I appointed myself the family documentarian early on, carefully recording life unfolding, and learning along the way how much I love visual storytelling. I picked up my first professional camera when my child was born, knowing those early years were dawning and full of change — and I never looked back. I can't imagine doing anything else.

I'm a maximalist in every sense: all-in on a project or power napping, rarely anything in between. A little weird and impressively clumsy, with absolutely zero shame dancing in public. I live in Alameda (aka the Midwest of the Bay Area) with my husband, my teen, and a menagerie of animals. Fair warning: I bring my outdated 90s dance moves to every session.

My upbringing taught me to find beauty where others see ordinary. Motherhood only deepened that instinct, and I've been known to cry at the drop of a hat. Kleenex is a standing item on my packing list for newborn sessions.

I'm awkward at small talk and large groups are where I go quiet — which is exactly why you'll never find me working weddings or large events, and why you will find me completely at home in yours. I work best in the intimate, the real, and the messy.

I invest deeply in the people I work with and pour my whole heart into every session. Walking away with friendships after a session is always a major bonus — and it's the reason I love my job as much as I do.

WORK WITH ME

©Carmen dunham Photography 2026

branding by Bella Maven 

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