Double take: Maternity and toddler portraits

I've taken portraits of lots of kids over the years. But last weekend was the first opportunity I’ve had to shoot maternity photos of someone other than myself. That someone happened to be a dear friend, which made the process of preserving her memories of such a joyful—and superbly uncomfortable, let's be honest here—time of life even more rewarding.

The photo session happened to fall on the most pleasant day we've had all winter; it was 70 degrees with bright blue skies. As a native Minnesotan, I still can't get over how the grass in North Carolina stays green enough to create a brilliant background in the middle of February.

To add to the excitement, my friend's son is turning 3 next month, so she also asked me to capture him in all his rambunctious glory. The afternoon was filled with dump trucks and motor sounds and plenty of dashing around. It was great fun!