Natalie Broders Photography blends the raw intensity of birth photography with the tenderness of maternity sessions.

I noticed right away how her birth portfolio shapes her maternity work. She uses close-ups to highlight the strength in a mother’s hands cradling her belly. 

Shen pulls back for wide shots that frame the body as a landscape, all lit by the soft glow of golden hour.

One couple shared how Natalie captured their unscripted kiss, landing just as sunlight dappled through fir trees.

I also like her hands-on approach to directing. One mom told me Natalie adjusted the folds of her gown to create flattering shadows, then stepped back to shoot candidly as her partner hugged her knees.

Her doula and birth photography background mean she’s great at reading body language. 

One client in her third trimester told me Natalie noticed her shifting weight and quickly suggested seated poses on a mossy log to ease discomfort without breaking the session’s flow.

The catch? Her birth photography commitments can limit her ability to take last-minute maternity bookings. Two clients I talked to had to reschedule outdoor shoots when Natalie was called to attend deliveries.

She is helpful, knowledgeable, and has a great personality

We have worked with Natalie twice now for videos and photos of our births. She is so great and makes us feel comfortable before, during and after the birth. She is helpful, knowledgeable, and has a great personality. She makes everyone feel good about whatever decisions they are making with their own birth, which goes a long way. And her videos are exactly what I asked for. Definitely worth the cost, and in general just a cool person to know.

• Katerina Jablonski, Google Reviews 

Very professional and knows what she is doing

“I adore Natalie.  She made me feel so seen and heard.   She goes above and beyond for her clients.   I am so grateful I found her.  Natalie was my birth doula.  She also did my maternity and new baby pictures.  Highly recommend.  Very professional and knows what she is doing.”

• Hayden Collier Google Reviews 

Grace Photography PDX’s owner, Ranjani, keeps her photography package tiers razor-sharp. 

The Basic package is all about budget clarity: 4 edited images and one designer gown. 

The Deluxe package bundles 14 images with 2 gowns, so moms can contrast styles. One mom paired a form-fitting velvet dress with a flowing chiffon overlay, which added dimension that single-outfit shoots just don’t have. 

The Luxury tier, though, includes 22 images and four gown changes. One client who purchased the luxury package told me Ranjani steps it up in creativity and elegance. 

She used a parabolic umbrella to soften the strobe light across neutral backdrops, giving everyone a dewy skin tone. 

I also like how her designer wardrobe goes beyond the usual rental racks. Her studio stocks structured lace gowns with built-in corsetry that cinch waistlines without discomfort. 

Her Elite is for couples who really want to splurge. She includes 35 images with six gowns and videos. I like how she throws in a free 12×12 photo album to remember the moment. 

The only hiccup? Her Elite package’s video clips feel like an afterthought. The 10-second montages have basic transitions and stock music, and they just don’t have the polish of her stills.

I highly recommend 

“I did maternity photoshoot with Ranjani and I booked her for newborn photoshoot the same day, without even looking at the edited photos from maternity shoot. She is professional and friendly. She was very kind to guide us on pre-prep for the newborn photoshoot day. I was very nervous the day of newborn photoshoot, with doubts regarding how will my baby do? As soon as I entered Ranjani’s studio, she made us feel at home. She is experienced in handling newborns and it showed evidently, my baby was calm and slept through most of the photoshoot. Ranjani was kind to accomodate my request for photo themes as well as poses. She gave us sufficient time in between to change/feed the baby and helped us throughout. She captured our life long memories in a beautiful manner. It’s been 4months since the newborn photoshoot and I still go through the gallery almost every single day. Mommies, I highly recommend Ranjani if you are looking for maternity or newborn photoshoot. She is the best!”

• Shraddha Nehate Google Reviews 

Highly recommend such talent

“We had a wonderful time with Ranjini.. Not only she managed to click such wonderful pictures of my maternity shoot, but also memorable and adorable pictures of my newborn baby. She handled both my kids with so much love and patience. Highly recommend such talent .”

• Rashmi Pai Google Reviews 

Irina Smagina Photography nails that tricky mix of classic portrait precision and the kind of candid, intimate moments people usually only get in lifestyle shoots. I don’t see many photographers pull off both this well.

Right away, I noticed how Irina uses studio lighting to shape and flatter curves. But she still manages to catch those unscripted moments—like a partner reaching over to cradle the belly without being told.

One of her clients shared that Irina paused their posed session when their other children burst into giggles. She then easily switched to lifestyle mode to immortalize that raw, joyful interaction.

Her Southwest Portland studio isn’t just a pretty space. The north-facing windows let in soft, even light, so couples get those flattering maternity silhouettes without any harsh shadows.

I also loved her client’s wardrobe—especially the stretchy gowns that still fit comfortably even for women in the home stretch of pregnancy.

The catch? Irina’s so popular that her calendar fills up months ahead, especially for outdoor summer shoots. One couple had to postpone their maternity shoot twice before securing a weekday slot.

The photos she made are incredible.

“Irina does beautiful work! She was flexible with us on locations for both our maternity and newborn shoots. She also let us change the date of our newborn photos and was so patient and skillful dealing with our fussy little one to get the perfect photos. We will be going back for major milestones for sure! Whether on location or in her beautiful studio, the photos she made are incredible.”

• Alyssa Chatterjee Google Reviews 

Our photos turned out beautifully and stunning! 

“My husband and I worked with Irina for our very first maternity photoshoot and she was wonderful! Irina was super fast at responding and was very very accommodating. We were able to include our dog in the shoot which was really Important to us since she is a part of our family. She helped us with our outfits for the shoot and also sent over a Pinterest board that was super helpful. She was so easy to work with and made the entire experience so comfortable and easy. Our photos turned out beautifully and stunning! Highly recommend Irina for maternity or even family photoshoot!”

• melissa nguyen Google Reviews 

Rooted Photography’s Shawna mixes digital sharpness with the soft, grainy magic of film. I love her hybrid style—it gives modern moments a kind of timeless texture people don’t see every day.

Her portfolio really caught my eye. She uses medium-format film for those soft, dreamy skin tones. She also switches to digital to capture quick moments, like a toddler’s hand landing on a baby bump.

One of her clients raved about how Shawna merged these techniques during her wildflower maternity shoot. She used film to soften harsh sunlight while digital shots crisply captured her laughing as her daughter tossed petals.

Shawna’s process is both collaborative and confident. She’ll show up early to scout the light and map out the best spots, but she’s quick to switch things up if the vibe changes.

Her eight years of modeling show up in the way she poses people. She’ll nudge a hip or adjust a hand so you look your best—little details that most photographers miss.

The only snag? Getting the photo gallery can take up to six weeks. One family told me they were hoping for sneak peeks sooner so they could share with family.

Absolutely beautiful and so fun to shoot 

“Shawna is amazing to work with!! She has captured our growing family in the most beautiful way. From my maternity pictures to our newborn shoot- Shawna has managed to share our vision and create magic of her own. We now have a precious baby girl and our latest “mommy and me” shoot was in the wildflowers. Absolutely beautiful and so fun to shoot with Shawna and meet her sweet daughter! We can’t wait to work with you again soon ✨”

• Pethida Thounsavat Google Reviews

fabulous job directing 

“Shawna is so patient and does a fabulous job directing and making you feel comfortable. I have used her photography service for maternity and family photos and as we all know kids don’t really behave when you need them to but Shawna still manages to capture the best photos!”

• Danielle Lucas Google Reviews

La La Photography has a staggering inventory of over 300 backdrops. Their online backdrop search tool is genius. I tried it out and instantly found all kinds of textured designs. 

Each maternity session runs just under an hour and happens in-studio. They don’t really do outdoor shoots. 

But I like that they offer moms-to-be a beautiful selection of maternity dresses. One woman told me she felt confident her photos would come out classy and elegant because of the dresses they keep on hand.

Although their shoots make use of excellent lighting, I wasn’t a big fan of the fact that they only include three edited images in the basic maternity photography package. 

Couples who want to own all their digital images have to pay anywhere from $99 for 5 to $499 for all their photos.

I think, though, that their paid-in-full package would be the better deal. For $299, it comes with a complete digital gallery, one free monthly session, instant emailed photo delivery, and behind-the-scenes documentation.

Amazing ideas, and beyond beautiful pictures

“My daughter came to do her maternity pics with Christina. She was an absolute doll.  She was so much fun to work with, amazing ideas, and beyond beautiful pictures.  I have been to several photo shoots and this was by far the best one.  When sitting to choose the pics she takes her time and no pressure in choosing them.  If u want amazing quality and lots of fun, this is the place to come.  1000X thank you Christina.   Paula and Shelby”

• PNettles5182 Google Reviews 

Had a great experience

“10/10 experience and results. My fiance and I took maternity photos here and had a great experience. They were very welcoming and the results of the photos were even better. If you are looking for a maternity photographer LaLa photography Portland is the place.”

• Madison Fink Google Reviews