I (Hanna) have photographed thousands of people through the years with over a decade of weddings, events and pretty much any momentous occasion. It has been one of my deepest joys to witness some of the most beautiful moments in the lives of others. I have stood on glaciers, mountain tops, and valleys below. I have photographed weddings in snow storms and on sunset beaches. I’ve listened to the solemn vows, photographed the hot tears rolling down flushed cheeks, witnessed newborn babies first wake to the world. I’ve danced with grandparents, stomped my feet with toddlers, curled up in dads strong arms, I’ve even photographed the aftermath of life, the last breath, the legacy left behind.
If there is anything I have learned most in this line of work, it’s that I am not just photographing people. I am photographing their love story. Maybe at first it’s just a name that pops up in a message. A contact. A generic request. A booking. But somewhere along the line, through the phone calls and texts, the questionnaires, the session, the name becomes a person with a history and a dream and a story. They become relatable. They become my friend. And suddenly, I become a storyteller, not just a camera and a lens.
Enter Kevin + Sylvia. I had never met these two prior to our maternity session in Hatcher Pass. But several days beforehand we chatted on the phone and Sylvia shared the reasons this session was so important to her. First off, she had lost over 150 pounds. Say what!? She knew she need to lose the weight in order to conceive. It was a gift for the little one to come. She wanted to be a healthy, happy mama. She shared about her newfound confidence, her fertility, her hard work. Kevin and Sylvia did get pregnant soon after the weight loss, but unfortunately, they also lost the baby. They have both had real heartbreak, sorrow, and disappointment to forge. Eventually they became pregnant with baby #2, their rainbow.
The more I learned about these two, the more I cared about their story. And that’s when the magic really starts to happen for me. I get a vision of what I want to say. The camera becomes my canvas. I knew exactly what I wanted this session to look like. Sylvia is an overcomer. She’s strong. She’s sexy. She’s confident. She’s kind. She’s a flippin’ bad ass. She’s a deep well. She’s free. Kevin is a nurturer. A support. Protector. Strong. Capable. Open. He’s there, with her, celebrating, overcoming, loving. That what needs to be said. And I want to say it.
Below are a few of my favorites from their maternity session. I hope you can see what I saw. I hope you can feel what I felt. Here is colorful love story featuring two, well three, pretty amazing people.
