Goddess meets cosy. That was my pitch to Abby, and she laughed so hard I thought we might have to abandon the whole plan before we even started. Spoiler: the giggles did not stop there.

Abby Phipps is one of those people who walks into a room and you just feel it. Loudly. She’s confident, warm, and absolutely hilarious, and she is also the woman behind Healing and Talking, the Sandbach Women’s Walking and Talking group she founded from scratch for women to connect, move, and just breathe. She gives a lot of herself to this community. So when she came to me for her maternity session, I really wanted to give something back.

This was Abby’s third baby. Third. And she came in with this brilliant, full volume energy that had us both in stitches for most of the morning. We’d get a pose sorted, we’d crack a one-liner, we’d collapse, and then we’d start all over again. I lost count of how many times I said “right! Get back to the pose!” Somehow, in between all of that, we made these awesome images!

We worked with a deep, earthy palette. Rich, warm tones straight from an old master painting. An ornate crown. A patterned robe. Flowing silk. And that light… always the light…

What I love most about these images is how completely themselves they are. This isn’t a generic maternity shoot. This is Abby. Her tattoos, her dreads, her absolute refusal to be anything other than exactly who she is. The camera had absolutely no choice but to love her.

Abby, what a morning. I meant every word. You have absolutely stepped into your light.

If you’re expecting and you’d love a maternity session built completely around you, I’d love to hear from you. Take a look at everything included over on my maternity page and get in touch when you’re ready.