Family Mamas To Be Events About Get In Touch
Expectant mother standing near a waterfall
Mamas To Be

Let's make art from this short, wild, tender season of becoming a mama.

Outdoor maternity sessions in the mountains and meadows of Central Oregon where the whole experience unfolds at your pace, in golden light, with someone behind the camera who knows how to help you soften into the moment.

Take a peek
Pregnant woman leaning against a tree during a maternity photography session in Bend, Oregon
Sound familiar?

Somewhere between "I should really do this" and "but what would I even wear," the weeks keep passing.

You've been thinking about it. Maybe you've even started looking at photographers' websites and imagining what your session might feel like. But then you start wondering whether you'll feel awkward, or whether the photos will actually look like you, or whether it's worth the energy when you're already this tired. And before you know it another month has gone by and your belly is bigger and the window is a little smaller.

Here's what I want you to know. You don't have to have it figured out. You don't have to know what to wear or what poses you want or how to stand so your body looks a certain way. And you most certainly don't have to feel "perfectly ready." You just have to show up, and I'll take care of everything else.

What you walk away with are photos that feel like this season actually felt. A beautiful moment in your journey of motherhood.

Mother holding her belly in warm sunshine during a maternity photography session in Bend, Oregon

You spent a week worrying about what to wear and whether you'd look good enough. You showed up feeling self-conscious and weren't sure what to do with your hands. The photos came back looking like a maternity shoot template you've seen a hundred times.

They're sitting in a folder on your phone and you've never printed one.

Now picture this instead

You wore something that felt like you and stopped thinking about it ten minutes in. You actually relaxed, and somewhere around the halfway point you forgot about the camera entirely. The photos look like your pregnancy actually felt, in a place that means something to you, in light that illuminates how magical this moment is.

They're on your wall and every time you walk past them you remember how empowered you felt that evening.

Two women smiling and hugging during a maternity photography session in Central Oregon
Expecting mother bathed in golden sunshine during a Wild Play Photography maternity session in Bend, Oregon
There's a version of this that feels completely different.

What it actually feels like when the session is built around you.

Imagine an evening in the mountains outside Bend. The light is warm and low and everything looks golden. You're walking a trail you love, moving at whatever pace feels right, and the only plan is to be here and let the session unfold. You're present in your body, feeling what you feel, and someone who understands light and patience and how to hold space is quietly making art from it.

The photos that come back look like you. Your belly, your expression, the place where you feel most at home. Gentle and strong and real, with a warm, soft quality that feels like the evening they were taken. Something you'll want on your walls long after this season has passed.

This is for you if you want maternity photos that feel grounded and real, if you'd rather be outside than in a studio, and you trust that the best photos come from being present rather than performing. If that sounds right, we're going to get along.

View gallery
Where we shoot

Some of my favorite spots in Central Oregon

Every season in Central Oregon photographs differently, and I love that. Summer sessions have long golden evenings and warm desert light. Fall brings color and cool air and that soft, amber glow that makes everything look like a painting. Spring is green and alive after the snow melts. I'll help you pick a location and a season that feels right for where you are in your pregnancy.

Shevlin Park

Towering pines, dappled light, and trails that feel like they belong to you. The forest creates a quiet, grounding energy that photographs beautifully with a belly.

Smith Rock

Desert light, golden cliffs, wide open sky. If you want something bold and expansive, this is the backdrop.

Tumalo Falls

Lush and green with the sound of water everywhere. A short walk in and you're somewhere that feels completely separate from the rest of your life.

The River Trail

Right in town, golden hour along the Deschutes. Easy, accessible, and the light here in the last hour before sunset is some of the best in Bend.

Expecting mother cradling her belly during a Wild Play Photography maternity session in Bend, Oregon
Real talk

You don't have to feel beautiful to look beautiful in these photos.

I hear this all the time. "I want to do this, but I don't feel great about my body right now." And I want you to know that's completely normal, and it has never once gotten in the way of a gorgeous session.

Here's what I've learned from years of teaching yoga and movement and now photographing women in their bodies: the photos that take your breath away almost never come from the moment you felt your best. They come from the moment you forgot to worry about it. When you stopped adjusting and just stood there in the light, feeling the evening air on your skin and your baby moving inside you.

That's what I'm looking for when I photograph you. Not a pose. Not an angle that hides something. The moment you land in your body and let it be what it is. I know how to create the conditions for that to happen, because I've been helping people feel at home in their bodies for a long time, in a lot of different settings, long before I picked up a camera.

You don't need to feel confident. You just need to show up. I'll handle the rest.

What to expect
What to expect

How a session works

You're growing a whole person. This part gets to be easy.

one

Before We Meet

We start with a conversation. You tell me where you are in your pregnancy, how you're feeling, and what matters to you about this season. I'll help you pick a location that fits your energy and send you a style guide so you feel confident about what to wear without overthinking it.

two

The Session

We meet at golden hour at a spot I've scouted in advance. We leave behind the "standard" shot list and rigid poses and flow with inspiration and intention instead. I follow the light and your energy and this allows the session to find its own shape. If you want to walk, we walk. If you want to sit on a rock and look out at the mountains, we do that. I stay close, watch the light, and when something beautiful happens I'm already there. Sessions are typically 60-90 minutes, but I don't watch the clock. We're done when it feels complete.

three

If Your Partner Wants to Be There

They're welcome for the whole session or just part of it. Most partners are a little unsure at first, which is completely normal. I don't put them on the spot or ask them to perform. Usually what happens is they hang back for a bit, then start to relax, and then there's a moment where they lean in and the photo makes itself. Those in-between moments, when you're both just there together, tend to be the ones that make you cry when you see the gallery. If your partner isn't into it, that's fine too. Some of the most powerful maternity photos are just you.

four

After

I hand-edit your gallery with the same care I brought to the session itself. Every image is color-graded with a warm, soft quality that feels like the evening it was taken. Your gallery is delivered within two weeks, and I'll help you choose the images that belong on your walls.

Meet Amanda
Amanda Carson, Wild Play Photography
Nice to meet you

Hi, I'm Amanda.

I'm a photographer living in Bend, and I think of what I do as art, not just photography. Before I picked up a camera full-time, I spent years teaching yoga, dance, and leading retreats and workshops. All of that taught me how to hold space for people in their bodies, how to read energy, when to guide and when to step back. I bring that same calm, grounding presence to every session.

I love this work for a lot of reasons, but maternity sessions hold a special place for me. There's something about this season of becoming a mama that I find genuinely magical, and getting to be part of it, even for an evening, feels like an honor. I love kids, I am in awe of the whole wild process of bringing them into the world, and I adore helping you feel at home in your body during a time when that can be hard to come by. Other mamas tell me that's the thing that makes the difference.

Hear from mamas More about me
Kind words

From other mamas and mamas-to-be who've been here

Smiling pregnant mom during a Wild Play Photography maternity session in Bend, Oregon
★★★★★

I hope more mamas see these images and feel empowered to make art with you and embrace their changing bodies.

Susan
★★★★★

I enthusiastically recommend Amanda's photography! Amanda possesses a remarkable talent for transforming each shot into a true work of art, ensuring it feels organic and genuine rather than staged. Throughout all the shoots, she created a warm and welcoming atmosphere that made me feel completely at ease. Collaborating with her was an absolute delight. The finished photos exceeded my expectations, leaving me extremely grateful!

Amara D.
Expecting mother standing near a waterfall during a Wild Play Photography maternity session
Mom and daughter snuggling during a Wild Play Photography session in Bend, Oregon
★★★★★

I highly recommend Amanda. Her presence creates ease in all the ways needed for the space. She is amazing to work with.

Leona Steel
A real session

What an evening with me actually looks like

She pulled into the parking lot about ten minutes early, which is how I knew she was nervous. It was a lot to carve out this time for herself with a child at home and preparing for the baby now on the way. She was 33 weeks along and walking on the trail needed more presence than ever. She wasn't sure she'd feel comfortable or look like herself that day.

So we started towards our destination. I didn't pick up the camera right away. We talked about where she was in her pregnancy, her journey of becoming a mama, whether she'd picked a name yet. The trail was quiet and the pines smelled the way they do in the warmth of the afternoon.

Pregnant woman leaning against a tree during a maternity session in Bend, Oregon
ten minutes early
Pregnant mama cradling her belly during a maternity photography session in Central Oregon
the moment her shoulders dropped
Smiling pregnant mom during a maternity session in Bend, Oregon
the one that made her cry

About fifteen minutes in, I noticed her shoulders drop. A gentle smile glowed, not just from her lips, but from within. Everything was quiet and I watched as her hands intuitively reached for her belly, sighing in contentment. The sun shone from behind her and I watched as it reflected off the river. That was the first real photo.

By the end of the session she was laughing and I could feel her joy in celebrating and capturing this tender moment in time.

When I delivered her gallery two weeks later, she sent me a message that said, "Thank you, I feel like me in these photos." That's the thing I keep coming back to. Not that the photos are pretty, but that she saw herself in them.

What you walk away with
What you walk away with

This season is short. These photos are forever.

You felt like yourself for the first time in a while.

Pregnancy changes everything about how you move through the world. These photos show you the version of yourself you forget about when you're tired and swollen. The one who's capable and soft and growing a whole person.

Your body looked beautiful, and you believe it.

Not because someone posed you at a flattering angle. Because you were standing in golden light, present in your body, and the camera caught what was actually there.

You have art that belongs to this season.

Your belly, the land, your particular shade of evening light. It's not a template. It's something so specifically yours that ten years from now you'll remember exactly how the air felt.

The whole thing was easier than getting dressed for it.

You showed up. Everything else was already handled. The hardest part of the whole experience was picking which photos to frame.

See the investment
Sessions

Maternity sessions

Full Session

$650
  • 60-90 minutes (no clock-watching)
  • Pre-session consultation
  • Location scouted just for you
  • Wardrobe style guide
  • Golden hour scheduling
  • Full hand-edited gallery
  • Warm, natural color grading
  • Wall art guidance
  • Partner welcome for all or part
  • Delivered in two weeks
  • The Wild Play Promise
Let's play

The best time to schedule is between 28-36 weeks, when your belly is beautifully visible and you're still comfortable being on your feet.

I take a limited number of sessions each month so I can give every mama my full attention. Maternity sessions have a natural window, so if you have a timeframe in mind, reach out early and we'll get something on the calendar.

The Wild Play Promise

If the weather turns or your body says not today, we reschedule.

No stress, no fees, no guilt.

Central Oregon weather has a mind of its own, and so does pregnancy. If the sky isn't cooperating or you're not feeling up to it, we pick a new date. I'd rather wait for the right evening than push through a session that doesn't feel good.

Let's play
Getting started

Here's how it starts

1
You tell me about your session.

Where you are in your pregnancy, how you're feeling, and what matters to you about this season.

2
We hop on a quick call.

I get to know you, answer your questions, and we figure out if we're a good fit.

3
I handle the rest.

Location, timing, style guidance, all of it. You just show up.

Tell me about your session
Good questions

Questions I get asked a lot

When should I book my maternity session?
The sweet spot is between 28-36 weeks. Your belly is round and visible, and you're still comfortable enough to enjoy being outdoors for an hour. That said, every pregnancy is different. If you're outside that window and want to talk about it, reach out and we'll figure it out.
What should I wear?
I'll send you a style guide after you book. The short version: wear something that makes you feel good and shows your belly the way you want it seen. Flowing dresses, fitted tops, earth tones, and soft textures all photograph beautifully outdoors. Skip the logos and busy patterns.
Where do sessions happen?
All over Bend and Central Oregon. I know dozens of spots and I'll help you find one that feels right for you. Mountain trails, meadows, the river, Shevlin Park, or somewhere that holds meaning for you. If you have a place that feels like yours, I'd love to hear about it.
What if I don't feel great about my body right now?
That's more common than you'd think, and it's completely okay. Part of what I do is create the conditions for you to feel comfortable. The location, the light, the pace, the way I guide you through the session. I'm not going to put you in a pose that doesn't feel right. And I've found that when the environment is gentle enough, something shifts. You stop thinking about how you look and start feeling what's actually happening. That's where the best photos come from.
Can my partner come?
Absolutely. They can join for the whole session or just part of it. Some partners are all in, some need a few minutes to warm up. Both are great.
Can we include our other kids?
Yes. I'm a part-time nanny and I love working with kids of every age. If you want your toddler climbing on you while we photograph your belly, that's a beautiful, real photo. We can do a mix of solo, partner, and whole-family shots within the same session.
How many photos do we get?
A maternity session gallery typically includes a generous number of hand-edited images. Every photo is individually edited. I don't deliver anything I wouldn't frame myself.
When do we get our photos back?
Within two weeks of your session. I don't rush the editing and I don't make you wait months.
Still curious? Let's chat
Amanda Carson, Wild Play Photography Replace: Amanda portrait for letter section
“
A note from me to you

Why I photograph this season

I want to tell you something I experience every time I photograph a mama.

There is so much happening in your body right now. So much becoming. And most of it is invisible to everyone around you, even the people who love you most. But when I see a mama standing in golden light with her hands resting on her belly, the whole evening stretching out behind her, I can see it. The tenderness and the strength and the quiet, steady power of what you're doing.

That's what I want to photograph. Not a version of pregnancy that looks polished and perfect, but the one that feels like yours. Your body, your landscape, so fully you that you can't help but feel seen. Art that looks the way this season actually feels when you let yourself soften into it.

I photograph this season because I genuinely find it beautiful. Every single time. And I know you deserve to see yourself the way I see you. Beautiful, strong, and so perfectly you. That version of you deserves to be on your walls.

If you've been thinking about it, reach out and let's talk about what you desire to create.

You, right now, exactly as you are. That's the whole point.

Tell me about your session.

Every session starts with a conversation. Tell me where you are in your pregnancy, how you're feeling, and the places in Bend that feel like yours. We'll figure out the rest from there.

No commitment, no pressure. Just a conversation.

Typical response time: same day or next morning.

Due date, how many weeks along, or a rough timeframe. Helps me suggest the best window for your session.
Favorite spots in Bend, how you're feeling about your body, whether this is your first baby. All welcome.

I'll be in touch soon. Looking forward to hearing about your session.

Let's play