Maternity photoshoots help soon-to-be moms embrace the beauty shining through their bumps despite the weight gain, morning sickness, or other side effects that might momentarily distract them from the little life growing inside.
The best photographers are those who can capture that aura of excitement and joy with the press of a button, like the moment one mom embraced her older child moments before giving birth to her second.
It's also fun to see how creative those sessions can get, especially when you have a subject as adorable as the cutie featured below. Rescued from a horrific hoarding situation, Hazel is now in much safer hands with her foster mom, photographer Melissa Benzel.
As they anxiously await the arrival of her puppies, Benzel decided to pamper her pooch with a precious photo series, just as if Hazel were one of her human clients. The result is a heartwarming tribute to motherhood, as well as to overcoming adversity.
Hazel previously lived in a home with 23 other chihuahuas, two others who were also pregnant, and all of whom were neglected by their owner.
All three of the expectant moms were taken in by foster homes to wait for the arrival of their babies.
The youngsters will stay in the foster homes until they are at least 8 weeks old and able to be adopted into families of their own.
For Hazel, Benzel plans to professionally document her and her pups' whole stay with her through her lens.
In fact, Benzel is already planning a newborn session once the tiny critters make an appearance!
You can keep tabs on Hazel over on Benzel's Facebook page and website. I know I'll be checking in to see how many sweet babies she welcomes to the world!
And don't forget to SHARE her adorable photos with your loved ones.
