Nicole & Josh's Mountain Maternity Session at Mount Falcon | Morrison Maternity Photographer

One of the unexpected gifts of being a photographer is getting to witness people move through different chapters of life.

Sometimes those chapters belong to people you've known for years.

I first met Nicole when she was four or five years old after my family moved to Thornton. Her family lived across the street from ours, and some of my favorite childhood memories involve spending time with them. As the years passed, life took us in different directions, but we've stayed connected over the years.

So when Nicole reached out about maternity photos, it felt a little surreal.

The little girl who lived across the street was now preparing to become a mom herself.

Needless to say, this was a session I was looking forward to.

A Maternity Session with a Tight Timeline

Maternity sessions always come with a little extra planning.

Unlike many portrait sessions, there's only a certain window of time when maternity photos feel right. Wait too long and things can become uncomfortable. Schedule too early and you miss some of the excitement of those final weeks before baby arrives.

Originally, Nicole and Josh's session was scheduled for an earlier date, but Colorado had other plans.

Cold temperatures and snow forced us to reschedule, which can be a little stressful when you're working within the timeline of an upcoming due date.

Thankfully, we were able to find another date that worked for everyone and headed to Mount Falcon West Trailhead near Morrison for their maternity session.

As it turns out, the weather still wasn't quite finished with us as it just started spitting some light snow us at the very end.

Why Mount Falcon is One of My Favorite Locations

Mount Falcon has become one of my favorite locations for portrait sessions in Colorado.

Located in the foothills near Morrison and Indian Hills, it offers incredible mountain views, rolling landscapes, and beautiful open spaces that photograph well throughout the year.

One of the things I love most about this location is the variety. Within a relatively short walk, you can find open fields, mountain backdrops, rocky terrain, and scenic overlooks that all feel completely different from one another.

For maternity sessions especially, it creates a beautiful setting that feels both adventurous and peaceful at the same time.

It was the perfect backdrop to celebrate this exciting season in Nicole and Josh's lives.

Already Great Parents

Throughout the session, one thing became very obvious.

Nicole and Josh are incredibly excited to meet their son.

At the time of the session, they were still working on the important task of choosing a name. Last I heard, they hadn't landed on one quite yet, but I have complete confidence they'll figure it out.

Like most first-time parents, there was a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and maybe just a little bit of "we can't believe this is actually happening."

Watching them interact throughout the session made it easy to see how excited they are for the next chapter of their lives.

And honestly, it was hard not to get excited right along with them.

The Great Baby Shoe Search

One of my favorite moments from the session wasn't even planned.

Like many expecting parents, Nicole and Josh brought along a few items for photos, including a pair of tiny baby shoes for their future son.

At one point during the session, we decided it was time to incorporate the shoes into a few images.

There was just one problem.

One of them had disappeared.

Somewhere along the trail, one tiny baby shoe had apparently fallen out without any of us noticing.

Immediately, Josh went into full dad mode.

While Nicole and I stayed put, Josh retraced our steps searching for the missing shoe. Unfortunately, finding a tiny baby shoe in the Colorado foothills is considerably harder than it sounds.

After a thorough search, we eventually accepted defeat and finished the session.

Or so we thought.

At the very end of the evening, while unloading my wagon, there it was.

The missing shoe.

Right where none of us expected it to be.

To this day, I'm convinced we all looked there multiple times.

Regardless, the mystery was solved, the shoe was recovered, and future baby-boy officially had both shoes back.

Looking Ahead

One of the reasons I love photography is because it allows me to document milestones that people will look back on for years to come.

This session felt especially meaningful because it wasn't just another maternity session.

It was an opportunity to celebrate a family I've known for most of my life and to document the beginning of an entirely new chapter for Nicole and Josh.

In just a few short weeks, they'll be welcoming their son into the world.

And while they may still be deciding on a name, one thing is already very clear.

That little boy is incredibly lucky.

Nicole and Josh, thank you for trusting me with such a special season of your lives. It was an honor to document these memories for you, and I can't wait to meet baby boy soon.