These Jaw-Dropping Maternity Photos Are Both Fierce and Empowering

As a professional photographer, Lola Melani has captured countless pregnancies, and each of her breathtaking maternity shots are unique because of how she empowers these mamas: by having them strip down.

"I think that the beauty of pregnancy is best captured in the most organic way — nude," Lola told POPSUGAR. "Artistic nude portraits help women to love and embrace the changes their bodies are going through. Nude photos are also timeless, unlike a dress, which goes out of style."

Lola explained that she always encourages her clients to capture their pregnancies in the same way — by baring it all — and the resulting snapshots are astoundingly beautiful. "These are actually moments they will cherish," Lola said. "I also find that the husbands love the experience just as much if not more than their wives because they see their woman being pampered as well as looking and feeling glamorous."

When you sign up for a maternity session with Lola, she works to ensure that it's much more than a typical photo shoot. "It's a day of well-deserved self-love and the goal is to create a truly unique experience in which the mother-to-be feels comfortable, relaxed, beautiful, pampered, and empowered from the moment she enters the studio," she said.