With her first two sons, Amy Scott, of Montgomery, Texas, posed for glamorous maternity photos, where she wore gowns and displayed perfect hair and makeup. Now expecting her third son, she knew she’d cherish additional pregnancy photos, but she felt, well, tired. Dressing up sounded like too much work.
When her photographer, Lauren Giles, asked what made Scott comfortable, she immediately replied “eating.” And, that’s when inspiration hit.
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“Lauren said ‘You could be eating. Why don’t we go to a public place?’” Scott, 34, told TODAY. “We came up with the grocery store and that was perfect because it has all of my favorite things.”
Giles, of Studio 154 Photography, checked with the local H-E-B grocery store and the manager gave them permission for the photo shoot. Early on April 30, the women went to the store and Scott — wearing her comfy jeans, a cardigan, tennis shoes and with her hair in a topknot — made a beeline for the frozen foods.
“I’m definitely craving ice cream,” she said. “My favorite is chocolate with peanut butter chunks and chocolate chips. It is basically heaven in the spoon.”
The women had hoped that the store would be empty but there were more shoppers than they expected. Most shoppers ignored them, but some were shocked.
“Some people gave us little giggles and smirks and went back to their shopping,” Scott said. "Some people were really confused with their mouths open.”
Friends and family think the pictures are “hilarious” and match Scott’s personality.
“I am a very casual person,” she said. “It is a real-life shot.”
While Scott never expected the photos to become so popular, she’s glad that her fun pictures reached so many people. And, she knows why they resonate with so many women.
“Anyone who has been pregnant can easily relate," she said. "All you want to do is be comfortable, sit around and eat all the things."
Giles said she’s received a lot of calls from women who want their maternity photos to reflect who they are, just like Scott's did. The photographer is glad the photos show that beauty looks different for everyone.
“This changed their outlook,” Giles said. “You can wear the topknot and cardigan and comfy jeans ... it was meeting mom where she was at, and where she likes to be.”
Scott’s son, Harrison, is due June 1, but she thinks he’ll be early, like his brothers, Henry, 5, and Hudson, 4. While she's had a blast with the photos, she hopes they show her sons the importance of being yourself.
“People can see through you if you are not yourself,” she said. “Let your personality shine."