With new baby due in the coming months, Erin knew she dreamed of a California almond blossoms maternity session. Luckily, I traveled back to the Central Valley for just enough time that we could celebrate this exciting time between rain storms in the almond blossoms of a nearby farm!
This year, California, and the Central Valley especially, has received record amounts of rainfall, covering the mountains with over 500 inches of snow, causing parts of the Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1, to fall into the ocean, and flooding streets all over.
Per Rove.me, almond orchards occupy one million acres in California (about 405,000 ha), according to the US Department of Agriculture. When the almond petals fall on the ground, they create a tender blanket, which locals call “the valley snow.” This mesmerizing phenomenon happens in early or mid-March. California actually grows about 80% of the world’s almonds.
I first met Erin and her sweet family when I photographed her husband’s squadron The Black Knights of VFA 154 at Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA. The squadron had asked me to photograph all of the officer spouses that had become a family after their past deployments, as well as mini sessions of the families with the F/18 fighter jet on the flight line. We connected immediately over our shared love of the great State of Texas (and all the things we missed from home there)!
Now, over a year later, they are about to welcome in the newest bundle of joy, and I couldn’t have been more honored to capture this exciting time during the short annual almond blossom bloom of the Central Valley!
Are you ready to capture your big moments and book your own California almond blossoms maternity session? Inquire here!
celebrate all the moments of your life
Photographer: @juliadavis.co
Location: Lemoore, California (Central Valley)
