Military life is defined by sacrifice, resilience, and constant change. New duty stations, deployments, long separations, and the beautiful chaos of building a family while serving something bigger than yourself. In the middle of all that movement, pregnancy is a moment of profound stillness and hope. Maternity photography captures that moment and gives it permanence, no matter where the military sends you next.
Hampton Roads is the largest military community on the East Coast. With Naval Station Norfolk, JEB Little Creek-Fort Story, Langley Air Force Base, Fort Eustis, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and Coast Guard Base Portsmouth all within a short drive, this region is home to tens of thousands of active-duty service members and their families. Many of those families are growing. And many of those expecting mothers are navigating pregnancy while their partner is deployed, while preparing for a PCS move, or while managing the unique pressures that come with military life.
I have been photographing families in Hampton Roads for over 14 years, and a significant number of my maternity clients are military spouses. I understand the lifestyle. I understand the scheduling challenges, the emotional weight of a deployment pregnancy, and the importance of creating something beautiful and lasting during a chapter of life that moves faster than you think. This guide is for every military spouse in Hampton Roads who deserves to feel celebrated during one of the most meaningful moments of their life.
Why Maternity Photos Matter Even More for Military Families
Every expecting mother deserves beautiful maternity portraits. But for military families, these photos carry an additional layer of significance that is hard to overstate.
Deployments Mean Your Partner May Miss the Journey
When your spouse is deployed during your pregnancy, they miss the daily changes. They miss watching your belly grow, feeling the kicks, seeing how your body transforms week by week. Maternity photos bridge that distance in a way that phone calls and FaceTime cannot. A professional portrait of you at 32 weeks, glowing and strong, gives your deployed partner something tangible to hold onto. It tells them: this is what our family looks like right now, and it is beautiful. Many of my military clients tell me their deployed spouse carries a print from the maternity session with them. That image becomes a lifeline, a reminder of what is waiting at home.
PCS Moves Mean Your Photographer Changes
One of the most underappreciated realities of military life is that you cannot always build long-term relationships with local service providers. Your favorite hairstylist, your trusted doctor, your photographer — all of these change with every PCS move. If you are currently stationed in Hampton Roads and you are pregnant, capture this pregnancy where you are right now. You may love your next duty station, but there is no guarantee you will find a photographer whose style, experience, and approach resonate with you the way they do today. Do not let this window close because you thought you had more time.
Military Life Is Unpredictable
Orders change. Deployments extend. Training schedules shift without warning. In a life defined by unpredictability, a scheduled maternity session provides something grounding: a date on the calendar dedicated entirely to you. A few hours where the focus is not on duty rosters or housing assignments, but on celebrating the life growing inside you. That intentional pause matters more than most people realize.
Creating Memories Before the Next Chapter
Hampton Roads may be a temporary home, but the memories you create here are permanent. Your maternity portraits become part of your family's story — the chapter where you were stationed in Virginia, where you felt the baby kick while watching the ships come into Norfolk harbor, where you built a life between deployments. These images travel with you to every duty station that follows. They become part of the narrative you share with your child someday: this is where we lived when we were waiting for you.
Incorporating Military Life Into Your Session
Military maternity sessions are some of the most meaningful and emotionally powerful sessions I photograph. There is a richness to incorporating your service connection that elevates the images from beautiful portraits to deeply personal stories. Here are some of my favorite ways to weave military life into your maternity session:
Dog Tags, Boots, and Uniforms as Props
Your partner's dog tags draped over your bump. Their combat boots placed beside your belly as a scale of how small this new life still is. A dress uniform jacket draped over your bare shoulders. These items carry weight — literal and emotional — and when incorporated thoughtfully, they add a layer of meaning that transforms a maternity portrait into a family heirloom. I always encourage tasteful incorporation rather than full uniform styling, as the focus should remain on you and your pregnancy while the military elements serve as accents that tell the larger story.
Flag or Branch-Themed Elements
A folded American flag, your partner's branch flag, or a simple red, white, and blue color palette can establish the military connection without overwhelming the image. Some clients bring challenge coins, unit patches, or deployment patches to include as small, meaningful details that only your family fully understands. Those personal touches are what make these sessions truly unique.
Including a Deployed Partner
This is where my work as a composite photographer becomes especially meaningful. If your partner is deployed, we have several powerful options. You can hold a framed photo of them during the session. We can place their boots next to your bump. You can wear their jacket or hold their dog tags. And in post-production, we can create a digital composite that places your partner right beside you in the image, as if they were there. These composite images are among the most emotionally powerful work I do. Military families regularly tell me these become their most treasured photographs.
Rank Insignia and Subtle Details
Sometimes the most impactful military references are the subtle ones. A partner's rank insignia pinned to your dress. A small anchor pendant for a Navy family. An Air Force coin tucked into the frame. These quiet details reward close attention and give the images a depth that reveals itself slowly, the way all great photographs should.
Meaningful Locations
Hampton Roads offers incredible backdrops that connect to military life without requiring base access. The Norfolk waterfront with aircraft carriers visible in the background. The beaches of Virginia Beach where military families spend weekends together. The historic sites that tie this region to centuries of military service. These locations root your maternity portraits in the specific place and time of your military journey.
Session Ideas for Every Situation
Military families come in every configuration, and every situation deserves its own thoughtful approach. Here is how I tailor maternity sessions to fit your specific circumstances:
Both Parents Present: The Full Couple Session
When your partner is home and available, a couples maternity session captures the joy of being together during this chapter. These sessions include both individual portraits of you and intimate couple shots — hands on the bump, foreheads together, the quiet tenderness between two people who know that time together is never guaranteed. For military couples, there is often an intensity and presence in these images that comes from understanding what separation feels like. That awareness of how precious every shared moment is translates directly into photographs that radiate connection.
Deployed Partner: Solo Session with Purpose
A solo maternity session during deployment is not a lesser version of a couple session. It is its own powerful statement. You are carrying this baby, managing a household, handling the emotional weight of separation, and doing it with grace. Your maternity portraits should reflect that strength. We incorporate meaningful military items — dog tags, boots, a uniform jacket, a framed photo of your partner — and create images that honor both your individual journey and your family's story. And if you want, we can create a composite image that places your partner beside you. The result is an image that captures what your heart feels even when distance separates you.
Homecoming Pregnancy: Celebrating Reunion
Few things in life are more emotionally charged than a military homecoming, and when that reunion coincides with a pregnancy, the photographs practically take themselves. If your partner is returning from deployment while you are in your maternity window, let us capture that reunion. The moment they see your bump for the first time in person. The way they place their hands on your belly and feel their child move. These are once-in-a-lifetime moments, and having a professional photographer there to capture them means you will never have to rely on memory alone.
Including Older Siblings: Military Kids Are Resilient
Military children are some of the most adaptable, resilient kids I have ever photographed. They have moved across the country (or across the world), said goodbye to friends, started new schools, and handled a parent's absence with a maturity beyond their years. Including them in your maternity session celebrates their role in the family and acknowledges that this new baby is arriving into a family that is already strong. Older siblings kissing the bump, holding a pair of tiny boots next to their own shoes, or simply laughing together — these images become part of the family legacy.
A Note About Tricare
Maternity photography is not covered by Tricare, and I want to be upfront about that. However, many installations have MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) programs that offer resources, discounts, or referrals for family services. It is worth checking with your installation's MWR office to see what might be available. We also offer flexible payment plans to make your session accessible because we believe every military family deserves this experience.
Hampton Roads Military Bases We Serve
Hampton Roads is home to the largest concentration of military installations on the East Coast, and our studio in Suffolk is centrally located to serve families from every base in the region:
- Naval Station Norfolk — The world's largest naval base, home to the Atlantic Fleet. Located in Norfolk, approximately 25 minutes from our studio.
- JEB Little Creek-Fort Story — Joint Expeditionary Base in Virginia Beach, home to Naval Special Warfare and Amphibious Forces. Approximately 35 minutes from our studio.
- Langley Air Force Base — Home of the 1st Fighter Wing in Hampton. Approximately 30 minutes from our studio.
- Fort Eustis — U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command in Newport News. Approximately 25 minutes from our studio.
- Norfolk Naval Shipyard — One of the oldest and largest shipyards in the country, located in Portsmouth. Approximately 20 minutes from our studio.
- Coast Guard Base Portsmouth — Atlantic Area headquarters. Approximately 20 minutes from our studio.
- All surrounding base housing communities — Including military housing in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth.
No matter which installation you are connected to, our Suffolk studio is a convenient, central location. We also offer on-location sessions throughout Hampton Roads if you prefer an outdoor setting near your base or in a location meaningful to your family.
Flexible Scheduling for Military Families
I have worked with enough military families to know that the standard rules of scheduling do not always apply. Duty schedules change with little notice. Watch rotations shift. Training exercises get extended. A partner who was supposed to be home for the session suddenly has duty that day. I get it, and I have built my business to accommodate that reality.
Flexible Rescheduling Policy
For military families, I offer a flexible rescheduling policy. If duty calls and you need to move your session, we will find a new date that works. No penalties, no hassle. Your service to this country should not cost you beautiful maternity portraits because of a schedule change you had no control over.
Weekend and Evening Sessions
I understand that weekdays during business hours are often not feasible for military families. That is why I offer sessions seven days a week, including evenings. Weekend sessions are popular with military couples who want to take advantage of the partner's time off, and evening sessions during golden hour produce some of the most stunning outdoor maternity images you will ever see.
Centrally Located Studio
Our studio is located in Suffolk, just off I-664, which makes it central to every major military installation in Hampton Roads. You can reach us in 30 minutes or less from most bases. This central location means that no matter where you are stationed — Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, or anywhere in between — you are never far from a session.
Quick Turnaround When It Matters
If you are approaching a PCS move and need your images before you leave, let me know. I will prioritize your editing so you have your gallery in hand before you transition to your next duty station. No military family should have to wait months for their maternity images while dealing with the chaos of a move.
For more on timing your session, read our complete maternity timing guide, which covers the ideal pregnancy week, season, and time of day for your portraits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you include my deployed spouse in the maternity photos?
Yes! This is one of our specialties. We create beautiful composite images that place your deployed partner right beside you in the photo. You can hold their photo during the session, place their boots next to your bump, or bring their uniform jacket to drape over your shoulders. Then in post-production, we can digitally composite them into the image so it looks like they were there. Many military families tell us these composites become their most treasured images.
Do you offer military discounts?
We deeply appreciate the sacrifices military families make, and we offer flexible payment plans to make your session accessible. We also work with families to maximize value by including partner and sibling shots at no extra charge. Contact us directly at 757-759-8454 to discuss your specific situation. We believe every military family deserves beautiful maternity portraits regardless of budget constraints.
My partner just got orders — should I book now or wait?
Book now. Military life is unpredictable, and PCS orders can come at any time. If you are currently in Hampton Roads and between 28-34 weeks pregnant, this is your window. Waiting risks missing the ideal timing for your bump, and your next duty station may not have a photographer whose style you connect with. We have flexible rescheduling policies specifically for military families, so if duty calls and your session needs to move, we will work with you.
Can we take photos on base?
On-base photography requires prior approval and a base pass for the photographer. The process varies by installation. Some bases like Naval Station Norfolk and JEB Little Creek-Fort Story have designated photo areas that can be approved through the Public Affairs Office. We recommend starting the request process at least 2-3 weeks before your desired session date. If on-base approval is not feasible, we have beautiful off-base locations near every Hampton Roads installation that capture the military connection without the access requirements.
Your Service Deserves to Be Honored
Military spouses are the backbone of our armed forces. You hold down the home front during deployments. You uproot your life with every set of orders. You raise children in the face of uncertainty. And through all of that, you carry new life with a strength that deserves to be documented and celebrated.
Your maternity portraits are more than photographs. They are proof that even in the middle of the most demanding lifestyle in America, you paused to honor yourself and the life you are bringing into the world. They are a gift to your child, who will one day see these images and understand the kind of family they were born into — a family built on service, sacrifice, and an unshakeable love that no deployment, no PCS move, and no amount of distance could diminish.
Hampton Roads is your home right now. Let me help you capture this moment before the next chapter begins.
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Last updated: February 2026