Matt + Ashely Duchene Maternity Session || Pinhey’s Trails, Ottawa

Maternities in a Winter Wonderland

This beautiful, incredibly happy, and expecting family is the Duchene family. I don't do maternity sessions very often, so when Ashley reached out to me to shoot some portraits in Ottawa of her, her husband Matt, and their puppers Paisley, plus a little one on the way, I was so excited and happily obliged!

Ashley was eight months pregnant when she contacted me to do her maternity photoshoot. Doesn’t she look amazing?! She was hoping for a snowy, wintery, maternity session with her husband. They were expecting their first child, a baby boy, in January and wanted her first pregnancy documented. With Matt playing in the NHL, their schedules were super tight. It was really tricky finding a time that worked for us to meet, but I was SO happy that we were able to find a date that worked!

The location of this shoot was Pinhey’s Traill in Ottawa! This place is a magical hidden gem and somehow I only ever find myself shooting at this location during the winter. It’s surrounded by tall trees and the trails are wide, making for the most beautiful landscape for a photoshoot.

As soon as Matt + Ashley arrived, the most perfect snowfall began. You know, the type of snow that's fluffy and perfect and photographs beautifully. It was that kind! It was magical and one of my favorite snowfall photoshoots. Perfection!

Ashley was absolutely glowing with that mother-to-be vibe and her belly was so adorable. I love photographing expecting parents because they just radiate joy and excitement! I also love to photograph puppies, so I was really happy they brought Paisley. As usual, Paisley stole the show, as most dogs do in photoshoots ;)

It was so much fun to do a maternity photoshoot for a change. I love photographing weddings, but I also love to photograph happy families! Matt and Ashely just recently welcomed their second baby in November, Jaymes Olivia. Congratulations to such a beautiful family!