The Project
John and Leah live in southern Arizona, and she is pregnant with their first child. They knew would be traveling to the Phoenix area for their baby shower about a month before the baby’s due date and reached out about taking maternity photos while they were in the area. They had seen a recent photo session on social media at Lost Dutchman State Park and we agreed that this would be a great location for their maternity photos.
Location Highlights
Lost Dutchman State Park is a photographer’s dream location. It includes many interesting backdrop features, like saguaro cacti and the Superstition Mountains, and the golden hour colors are unmatched. This was the perfect spot for a maternity session, as the beautiful views are easily accessible from the parking lot. Day use area parking lots are straightforward to drive to and the roads leading to them are paved, which was helpful for my sedan. From those day use parking lots, flat, dirt trails lead a short distance to plenty of photo spots. Desert flora and natural textures provide a stunning backdrop for desert portraits.
Session Details
The sun set on that day around 6:30pm, so we agreed to meet at 5:30pm. Golden hour occurs during the hour before the sun sets and the light is best during the last half hour. I like to use the beginning of a golden hour session to try out poses and get people comfortable in front of the camera, so we followed the trail a short distance and I used the mountains and various cacti for framing and backdrop details, while keeping a close eye on the ground to make sure that neither myself or the couple accidently stepped in or caught a cholla.
The Nifty, Nitty-Gritty Technical Photography Details
Because this was a short portrait session and I wanted to pack light, I decided to use only one camera body (Sony a7iii) and changed between two lenses – the Sony G Master 70-200mm f2.8 and a Sony 24-70mm f2.8. I originally bought the 70-200mm for running photography, but I keep finding myself enjoying it for still portraits or candids during a wedding. I love the compression and clarity of this lens, and the ability to take portraits that look like they were taken close, but without invading anyone’s personal space. The 24-70mm was great for either landscape photos that showed the mountain range or vertical photos with a tall saguaro. I also use variable ND filters when taking photos outside on a clear day because my absolute pet peeve is when the highlights of a photo are blown out and I wanted to include all the colors in the sunset sky.
I’m thrilled with how the photos turned out and received a positive response from Leah & John when the final gallery was delivered. Check out a few photos from the session above and let me know what you think!