This might be one of those stories I probably should’ve taken to my grave, but here we are.

I had a golden hour maternity announcement session booked with clients who were visiting from out of town. Everything was planned perfectly! The light, the location, the timing. It was one of those sessions you don’t really get to reschedule easily, especially when people are only in town for a short window.

And then… life happened.

The morning before the session, I found out I needed to have an emergency colonoscopy the next day.

Which, if you’ve ever had one, you already know is basically a full day event of preparation, planning your entire life around a bathroom, and slowly questioning all your decisions.

And unfortunately for me, that prep started the same day as the shoot.

So yes. I showed up to a golden hour maternity announcement session… while actively in the middle of colonoscopy prep.

There is truly no feeling quite like standing in beautiful golden light, hyping up your clients, directing poses, checking angles… while also mentally calculating how fast you can get home afterward.

On the outside, I was fully in photographer mode:
“Okay perfect, walk toward me a little bit.”
“Hands on your belly, this is beautiful.”
“Just one more with the sunset behind you.”

On the inside though?! A completely different story.

Let’s just say I have never been more aware of my internal body situation while trying to create calm, emotional, glowing maternity photos. And somehow… the session went beautifully. The light was perfect. The clients were amazing. Everything came together exactly how it was supposed to.

But I will never forget that feeling of juggling artistry, professionalism, and pure survival mode all at once. If you know, you know.

This job has a funny way of putting us in the most unexpected situations. We show up no matter what! Sick, tired, overwhelmed, running on coffee and chaos—because people are counting on us to capture moments they can’t redo.

Photographers really are out here doing the most… in every sense of the word.

So now I have to ask: Am I the only one who has ever had a completely unhinged “behind the scenes vs final gallery” moment like this? Please tell me I’m not alone!!