Some families you meet once. Others you get to grow with. This one, I've now photographed three times — and every session has felt like coming back to something familiar.
I did their photos when she was expecting her first. Then the newborn shoot, when he was still small enough to disappear into a blanket. And this summer, here we were again — a second little one on the way, a toddler who would not stand still for love nor money, and the same easy warmth between the two of them that I remembered from the very start.
That's the part of this job I didn't expect to love as much as I do: being the person a family comes back to. Not just for one big moment, but for the whole unfolding story.
Why the gardens at Corick House make such a beautiful setting
We shot in the grounds of Corick House Hotel & Spa in Clogher, and if you're weighing up where to have your own maternity session, this is exactly the kind of setting I'd point you toward.
Summer here gives you long, soft evenings and gardens at their fullest — climbing roses, ivy-covered brick archways, willow branches to stand under, and those rolling green views out over the countryside. It means we're never short of backdrops, and everything feels alive and in bloom without you having to travel far to find it. The mix of manicured garden and open landscape gives every session real variety in a single evening.
An outdoor maternity session also gives us room to move. We can wander, find the light, let your little one run between shots, and catch the real in-between moments rather than staging every frame. Those relaxed, unposed images are almost always the ones families end up loving most.
The evening didn't go to plan — and that was fine
Here's the honest bit. The rain came in that evening and never really let up.
Most people would have asked to reschedule. They just got on with it — pulled in close under the trees, laughed through the drizzle, and let the evening be what it was. And honestly, the grey sky worked for us. Overcast light is soft and even, with none of the harsh midday shadows, and everything took on this quiet, tucked-in feeling.
If you take one thing from this post, let it be that: a little weather is never a reason to lose the photos. Some of my favourite images come from the evenings that didn't go to plan.
What to expect from a maternity session with me
If you're thinking about booking your own, here's roughly how it goes:
- Timing. The second and third trimester tends to work best — usually around 30 to 36 weeks, when your bump is beautifully round but you're still comfortable on your feet.
- What to wear. Flowing, simple dresses in soft, pale tones photograph gorgeously and keep the focus on you. I'm always happy to advise before the day, and I can guide you on colours that suit the season and setting.
- Bringing the family. Partners and older siblings are so welcome. Some of the most touching frames from this session were the toddler's tiny shoe resting against the bump, and his little hand reaching up for his mum.
- The feel. Relaxed, warm, and led by you. I'll guide you into natural poses, but the goal is always to capture how your family actually is with each other.
Booking a maternity session across Monaghan, Cavan and the border counties
I'm based in Co. Monaghan and photograph families, maternity, and newborns right across the border region — Monaghan, Cavan, and into the neighbouring Northern Ireland counties of Tyrone, Fermanagh and Armagh. Corick House in Clogher sits perfectly in the middle of all of it, which makes it an easy, central spot for families on either side of the border.
Whether it's your first pregnancy or, like this family, your second time round, I'd love to help you hold onto this chapter before everything changes again.
If you're expecting and thinking about a summer maternity session, get in touch — I only take a limited number of sessions each season, and the light this time of year is worth planning around.
Round two for this family, and every bit as beautiful as the first.
