Asheville’s #1 Maternity Portrait Photographer shares tips for shooting gorgeous Blue Ridge Parkway Maternity Photos
Maternity Photos on the Blue Ridge Parkway has long been an incredibly popular choice among locals and tourists visiting our lovely little mountain town! Asheville is also a very popular destination for couples planning their baby moon in the mountains and one exceedingly popular thing to do on your baby moon is to have your Maternity Portraits made during your trip! For the last fifteen years, I’ve photographed at least two couples on their baby moon in Asheville each month, so I’m basically the town expert on Blue Ridge Parkway Maternity Photos!
When should we shoot Blue Ridge Parkway Maternity Photos?
I typically photograph expectant mothers between 30 – 33 weeks. I prefer this time frame because your baby bump has POP’d but you’re not yet uncomfortable and retaining water, swelling, etc! Also, this is considered the ‘safe zone’ because (waiting much later in your pregnancy makes it riskier to plan maternity portraits, the closer you get to your due date!) There are a few important things to consider before scheduling your Maternity Portrait Session on the Blue Ridge Parkway!
Spring-
The vantage point seen from the BRPW is from above (you’re at a much higher elevation up there than down in the cities and towns below). In the spring, the leaves begin to arrive on trees at lower / warmer elevations first, making their way to higher elevations as temperatures begin to warm. Because of this, the parkway generally ‘looks very brown’ until about mid April! After that, everything below begins to ‘green up’, so you’ll see trees in varying shades of green down below and also, spring blooms begin to arrive! Some flowers that you can expect on the BRPW in WNC are: Mountain Laurel, Flowering Bluets, Aster, Purple Rhododendron, Azaleas, Trillium, Coneflower, Pinkster Flower and Wild Hydrangea. The most pervasive species that you’ll see are the Rhododendrons and the Azaleas in mid May!
Summer-
Summer is one of the best times to shoot on the mountain tops of the Blue Ridge Parkway in my opinion because Summer brings the wildflowers blooming on the mountain tops and I am here for that! In addition to the wildflowers on mountain tops, you’ll also see a lot of azaleas, mountain laurel, phlox, coneflowers and rhododendron.
Fall-
Do I even have to say it!? Fall is by far the most popular time for Maternity Portraits on the Blue Ridge Parkway! Any type of portrait actually! The brilliant fall colors begin to arrive at the higher elevations first (around the second week of October) and gradually make their way down to lower elevations (in the cities and towns down below). The peak of fall color is typically the third week of October. During this time, you’ll see lots of red, orange and yellow leaves!
Winter-
Winter is a bit trickier to shoot on the BRPW because the National Park Service typically closes the roads at higher elevations from the first ice (usually in mid November) through mid / late March or so… You can still get to the parkway from the access roads in neighboring mountain towns, park at the gate and walk along the parkway, to the nearest overlook, etc. This method just requires quite a bit more commitment as it’s also cold during this time of year and most everything looks brown / dead (which doesn’t exactly scream new life, if you know what I’m saying!?). Instead, you could consider shooting at the highest elevations via the access roads as those areas will have some evergreen / alpines that will look magically wintery at this time of year! You could also consider shooting at a frozen waterfall or if we have some snow, shooting in the snow because there is one thing about WNC in the winter — Winter Sunsets in Western North Carolina are legendary!
Where should we shoot our BRPW Maternity Photos!?
Choosing a location along the Blue Ridge Parkway for your Maternity Portrait Session is entirely subjective and completely dependent upon your preferences for landscape — which types of locations and / or geological features of the parkway interest you! The Blue Ridge Parkway has over 70,000 acres of forest, which covers almost 85% of the parkway’s 469 miles!
There are some areas of the parkway which feature giant, rocky mountains while others may have rolling hills, forested mountains and grassy balds. There are waterfalls, forest trails, tall grassy fields and spectacular rolling mountain overlooks. Areas in higher elevations have more alpine/ever green trees and areas in lower elevations are going to have more hardwoods, maples, birch and oak trees. All this to say, the Blue Ridge Parkway is incredibly diverse and it’s important to consider what types of locations interest you for the backdrop to your Blue Ridge Parkway Maternity Photos!
Safe, Easy Overlooks & Trails for your Maternity Photoshoot on the Blue Ridge Parkway:
The Blue Ridge Parkway has a total of 272 overlooks, ranging from scenic-pull offs to regularly-used trail heads! Some overlooks offer some grassy area that’s nice for portraits while others are just a parking lot for motorists to pull off and enjoy the view!
You can access a virtual tour of Blue Ridge Parkway Overlooks on the BRPW website, located here: Virtual Overlooks
I would travel as far North as the Rough Ridge Overlook (near Boone) (milepost 302.8) and as far South as the Thunderstruck Ridge Overlook (milepost 454.4) (these overlooks are all within a 2hr drive of the city of Asheville).
If you want to stay within an hour’s drive of the city of Asheville, I recommend staying between View Mount Mitchell (milepost 349.9 )and Cowee Mountain Overlook (milepost 430.7)
Of course I have my own Go-To BRPW Overlooks and Trails that I frequently shoot at! (I’m gonna keep those close to the vest because I don’t want them to become over shot by other photographers and I don’t want the areas I’m frequently shooting in to get trampled or destroyed etc.) If you’re a photographer who’s found yourself on this post, looking for recommendations on where to shoot along the parkway, my best advice is to get out and drive, take a ride, take a hike, explore and find locations that sing for you! If you’re a prospective client who’s interested in learning more about where I’m shooting (just know none of the locations that I frequently shoot are more than about 45 minutes drive out of the city!), we’ll discuss location options in detail after booking! 😉
Popular Easy Trails & Hikes with Big Views:
Mount Mitchell (Deep Gap Trail)
Craggy Gardens
The NC Arboretum
Gravyard Fields
Black Balsam Know (Art Loeb Trail)
Wanna shoot Maternity Portraits on the Parkway with me!?
Learn more about Maternity Portraits in Asheville on my website (including my Maternity Photography Portfolio, Process and Pricing Information) located here: Tell me more!