On an earlier trip to this ‘secret garden’ North of my home, I thought to myself, ‘This would make the perfect location to shoot a maternity session’. The only problem with it is that this particular location requires a bit of walking and the ability to withstand the Florida heat. Which honestly, is not a favorable scenario for any pregnant mother – myself included.
The drive it self to this location requires you to drive by The Kennedy Space Center and Blue Origin. Talk about a fun day and we aren’t even there yet. I always seem to feel a sense of amazement being there.
The Enchanted Maternity Session
The Enchanted forest itself is not a very well known park in the area. Jessica – who I photographed – is a native to the area and had never heard of it, but when she entered she also understood why the area was special. With an abundance of natural Florida landscape, bright flowers and dense foliage, the Enchanted Forest is a peaceful place to be.
Meet Jessica
Now Jessica is a tough lady. I met her at the gym we both attend, Burn Boot Camp and knew she’d be the perfect mother for this location. The walk isn’t grueling by any means, but when you’re pregnant anything is harder than normal. However, Jessica has been going harder at the gym at 8 months pregnant than I do at 18 months postpartum. I knew it was going to be perfect. She is the perfect mom for this kind of location.
I geared up with a wagon with my supplies and a seat ready for her 4 year old daughter. It was important to me to make sure she was as comfortable as possible. That way she could look her best for the shots. We took our time walking through the park and there was no shortage of breath taking scenery to shoot alongside.
An Enchanted Story in Stills
We took our time taking solo portraits as well as getting her daughter to join in when she was ready to play with her mom. If you shoot family portraits for a living, you’ll quickly learn that shooting with kids is a delicate balance. You have to let them be kids and get them pumped to be part of the fun.
At the same time, I took the time to film the highlights of the process for my own use. As a surprise to me, Jessica said seeing the behind the scenes footage brought tears to her eyes. That made me realize how important it is for mothers to be captured with their babies. As mothers, we never get to see it from the perspective of others. You can check out my TikTok for the original video and more of my sessions here.
About halfway through, we changed gears and had Jessica change out of her blue dress to something a little sexier, riskier and drop dead stunning.
Jess and I had a lot of good laughs as she changed in the forest, and let me tell you, when you’re a mother, nothing can faze you. Even the prospect of strangers seeing you in all your glory.
Once changed, we found a secluded area with a drop dead gorgeous scenery with just enough sunlight to light my subject. I had her daughter play with her and pose with her pregnant belly. The close up are absolutely charming. In the end, I was a hot sweaty mess lugging around all I could. However, I knew what I captured was worth the extra effort.
Any mother who wants to shoot there with me is more than welcome too. I would even say it’s one of my favorite places to be.
Is the Enchanted Forest in Titusville the place for you?
[…] If you want to learn about some other great locations spots in Central Florida, check out my blog posts about Hangars Beach, Rockledge Gardens or the Enchanted Forest. […]