A Magical Greenhouse Maternity Photo Session in Lancaster, PA

If you’re a plant lover and you’re looking for a lush, green, botanical location to do a photo session indoors, I highly recommend you consider a greenhouse. This particular greenhouse is a privately owned location in Lancaster, PA that can be rented for events and photo sessions. It is one of my favorite locations during the winter months because it is warm and provides an escape from bleak cold winter days.

This family is expecting their second child and I last photographed them for their maternity session when they were expecting their first baby about two years ago. Their adorable toddler daughter was on the move and full of personality. Like most toddlers, she was fascinated by the little pebbles on the ground and kept picking them up and digging her toes into them.

When deciding on a location for your maternity photo session, I always encourage clients to choose a spot that is meaningful or fits their style or vibe. This family spends their days mostly barefoot on their own little homestead raising chickens and tending their garden so the greenhouse seemed like a fitting location for their photo session. I would say it also has a bit of a rustic bohemian feel with the wood and wicker elements.

This private Lancaster greenhouse has various seating options including wicker furniture, hanging chairs, and wooden stools. It is climate controlled and they even have a wood stove to keep it extra warm during the winter months. You can also purchase plants they have for sale if you want to add to your plant collection. The hanging twinkle lights and ferns make it feel extra magical, like a fairyland of sorts.

One thing to note is that the plants and furniture can vary each time you visit the greenhouse depending on what events they’ve had recently or what the season is. In general it’s always a beautiful space to spend time in and works great for photos. I actually celebrated my birthday here one year with a brunch with friends.

Because it is a private greenhouse, there is no website and it can only be reserved on a case by case basis with the owner. If you’re interested in booking a photo session here with me as your photographer, please reach out and I’d be glad to arrange something. Other greenhouses I recommend checking out are Hueter’s Greenhouse in York (open year round) or Frey’s Greenhouse in Lancaster (open seasonally).

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family, maternity, newborn and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, PA and beyond. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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A Spring Blossoms Maternity Photo Session in Lancaster County Park

Lancaster County Park is probably my absolute favorite location to do photo sessions year round, but it especially shines in the spring. My other top spring location is Buchmiller Park because you can find the weeping cherry trees there along with an old magical crab apple tree where the light hits just right at golden hour.

This maternity photo session happened in the first half of April which is typically peak spring for flowering trees. I love the ethereal romantic periwinkle blue dress that Dana wore. I had to make sure to take photos with the sunlight shining through the tulle. If you are thinking about scheduling maternity photos, I recommend planning on somewhere between 28-34 weeks pregnant. Luckily we fit this photo session in just in time because their baby boy ended up arriving early, just a week after these photos were taken!

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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An Intimate In Home Maternity Photo Session in Lancaster, PA

As a maternity photographer in Lancaster, PA, I have photographed many pregnant mamas over the years but I don’t believe I’ve ever done an intimate in home maternity session quite like this one. This mom knew exactly the look she was going for; something cozy, simple and intimate with a focus on her growing belly. Though I am usually a color fanatic, I think the light neutral color palette along with the texture of her torn blue jeans really makes the warm skin tones pop.

When I arrived for their session, their home was undergoing some major renovations and she told me that she had just finished installing the headboard above their bed. It was formerly a fire mantlepiece in a historic local home and they refurbished it to become their headboard. It makes for a gorgeous standout piece to frame the setting. I love the textures of the wood and stone combined with the creamy neutral colored linens, her droopy sweater and the flowers.

One of the key elements in setting the stage for a beautiful in home maternity photo session is gorgeous natural light. It just so happens that their master bedroom gets nice bright sun in the morning so we made sure to schedule the session during the morning hours. The white sheer curtains also act as reflectors and can be fun to shoot through. In my opinion you can never go wrong with natural window light that feels soft and intimate.

This glowing expectant mama also had a few details she wanted to include such as an ultrasound photo and baby’s breath flowers. They lost their first son and she also wanted to include his photo in the background of some of these images. I think including personal details like these in your photo session are so important and special in telling your family story. And of course we captured a few photos with her husband and daughter. I think probably one of my favorite images from this series is the first photo below of her holding her daughter on top of her growing belly. I like the anonymity of the image and the focus on her pregnant belly and how it shows the love and connection she has with her daughter.

If you are considering an intimate in home maternity session, I’d love to chat with you! As a Lancaster maternity photographer, I think it is important to incorporate personal details into your story. I think having photo sessions done in your home makes your session unique to you and I’m here to document it all!

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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Early Fall Family Photo Session at Longs Park

What a gift it is to document families as they grow over time. I take it as one of the best compliments when clients come back to have me take their photos more than once!

I first photographed this family when their daughter Paige was a newborn and they were living in a tiny studio apartment in Harrisburg. Now they are about to welcome baby number two (a little boy!) and I cannot wait to photograph them as a family of four in their new home. Stephanie is absolutely stunning in her flowy boho dress!

As we all know, toddlers can be tricky when it comes to photos. Paige needed a snack towards the end and was not willing to give up her can of puffs without a fight so we got some photos of her at the end clinging to her puffs. She wasn’t a fan of wearing her hat accessory either but we managed to get one good photo of her wearing it (and Dad wore it too!) My best advice for photographing toddlers is to let them be themselves and don’t try forcing them into anything. If they want to pick a flower or throw a rock in the pond, let them do it! And with some subtle suggestions, beautiful in-the-moment photos can be made. I might suggest to have them let mom smell the flower or see if they can reach a tree branch when they sit on top of dad’s shoulders. I think it’s important to make it more about play and less about smiling at the camera to capture authentic expressions.

I love Long’s Park in the fall and it’s probably my favorite time of year to photograph there. Though it can be tricky to avoid people and parked cars in the background, I’ve discovered the angles that work well over the years and have my favorite trees and spots. It’s also an entertaining location for little kids because of the water and there are always ducks swimming around and fish (and sometimes turtles) to feed.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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A Fall Lancaster Maternity Session at the James Buchanan's Wheatland Home

The James Buchanan’s Wheatland home is just minutes from my house on the outskirts of Lancaster City and somehow I never thought to do a photo session here before. My family has enjoyed picnics here in the spring and my kids love the secret hidden fish pond. It turned out to be the perfect fall location for a maternity photo session in Lancaster, PA.

I made sure to get in touch with someone at Lancaster History (the non-profit that manages and maintains the property as well as runs tours) to request permission first of course. The property is beautiful in all seasons however the variety of trees on the on the grounds, which are a part of the Louise Tanger Arboretum, makes for an absolutely stunning fall backdrop. This Lancaster maternity session was timed perfectly at peak fall (which happened to be the end of October/early November in 2022).

I honestly would have a hard time choosing a favorite from this fall maternity session, but if I would have to choose, I would say probably the shot taken with my Lens Baby Sol 45 art lens amongst the orange and auburn red leaves. If you scroll down about midway through the photos, it’s a vertical image where the couple is standing together in the center of the frame and facing opposite directions. The lens creates a bit of a blur around the edges of the photo that makes it appear so dreamy. The Lens Baby Sol 45 is manual focus only and has the ability to tilt so that you can change what area of the image is in focus. It is hands down a favorite for portraits and maternity sessions and as a bonus it is very small and lightweight. I can’t say it always works great with active children, but I do bring it out for my family sessions from time to time.

Cecilia wore a flowy sage green maternity gown and is nothing short of glowing and radiant. It was one of those photo sessions where I had a hard time putting the camera down because it was just that good! And even though that golden sun only peeked through for a few shots, the overcast sky and wet leaves made the colors even more briliant. It was a pleasure to photograph these two (who were absolute naturals in front of the camera) and I was honored to document this new chapter in their lives.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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