Most couples get maternity photos done to relish in the memories of the pregnancy. When Angeline and Dan Mozer were expecting their first child together, Dan wanted to make his pregnant wife feel like a model. The plan was to take some cute beach photos together, but instead, their shoot ended up getting way more dramatic than they were expecting...
Capturing Happy Moments
Dan and Angeline were going to be first-time parents. They were planning on having a relaxing last few days before the baby came and wanted to make the best of it. Taking pictures, relaxing in the sand, and just enjoying each other’s company were the only things on their to-do list.
Picture Time
When it was time to take some pictures, they set up for a classic shot in front of the water. The day was going well and Angeline was actually feeling pretty good for being so pregnant. When Dan, who is an amateur photographer, wanted to get a photo of his wife in front of the water, he had no idea what kind of gold he was about to capture…
Photo Happy
Dan even dug out his old camera for this special day. One day, he could even show his child these photos. Dan knew that these were already going to be special, but he had no idea that his photos would eventually go viral for one crazy reason.
Giving Her a Confidence Boost
Another reason why Dan wanted to take pictures of his heavily pregnant wife was that he knew that she was feeling a bit insecure about herself. He wanted to show her how perfect she was and how much he appreciated her, so a little photoshoot was the least that he could do! Unfortunately, the first shoot didn’t go as planned…
A Stormy Day
The first time they headed out to the beach, things went south pretty quickly. Angelina, who was very heavily pregnant, wasn’t keen on the humidity and was getting uncomfortable. They didn’t know it, but a horrific storm was about to roll in. It was cloudy at first, and then it got darker and darker…
It Was Too Much
Angelina was worried about the storm. Dan, who was already upset that this day wasn’t going to plan, tried to get them to stay. He was being a bit too optimistic, though, because the sky opened up on the poor couple. Angelina was more than upset…
Time Was Running Out
While Angelina appreciated Dan’s effort, she wasn’t optimistic that they would get their adorable beach day. The problem was that she was getting closer and closer to her due date, so their time was running out.
Pure Determination
He was going to do his best to get some amazing shots of his wife. It was the least that he could do... She was bringing their child into the world, after all. He did some more research on other popular beaches and decided to take her to a very popular one. There was one thing that felt a bit off, though…
The Wildlife
One particular beach that he had his eyes on was popular for shark and stingray sightings. They weren’t planning on getting in the water, so they technically didn’t have anything to worry about, but Angelina was still a bit hesitant. She was protective of their unborn child.
Different Sharks
They were a bit worried, but they were able to talk themselves out of it. Dan convinced Angelina that they didn’t need to switch locations just because of some dangerous animal sightings in the waters. After all, people had only seen a few bay sharks and one great white...
Moving Forward
This shoot had to be perfect. Dan had everything set and planned. This time, they looked at the weather to make sure that everything would go smoothly. It was a cloudy but clear enough day, great for a photo shoot!
Wading in the Water
They got to the beach and everything was perfect. The water was cool and the waves were perfectly big enough for some cool shots. Angelina decided to take her chances and wade into the water, just a bit, for some of the shots. They wanted to get creative!
A Commotion From Down the Beach
Just a few yards away, they heard people’s conversations get louder and more frantic. Angelina and Dan looked to see a crowd of people at the shoreline looking out into the water. They weren’t sure of what was going on at first…
More and More People Began to Gather
The commotion got more and more aggressive! Some people seemed scared and others seemed excited. The couple had no idea what was going on, but something was telling Angelina to get out of the water. She was a bit too far in and her feet kept sinking in the sand. Being 9-months-pregnant didn’t help the situation either...
A Huge Crowd
Before they knew it, a huge crowd ended up gathering around. People were pushing past Angelina as she tried to get out of the water. Dan ran in and took her hand to rip her from the ocean… He didn’t want to scare her, but he definitely saw something in the water.
Doing the Shoot
After Angelina was out of the water, they weren’t really interested in seeing what was going on. Instead, they went down the beach a little to keep taking pictures. Angelina was getting tired and it was almost time to go. So, he wanted to get all of the pictures he had in mind and get her home in a timely manner.
Perfecting the Pose
Going about their business, the two didn’t really pay attention to anything else going on. They wanted to get in, take their pictures and get out. Not paying attention to your surroundings can usually result in bad situations, and Dan should have been on his toes especially with all of the commotion. They had no idea what was in store...
Capturing a Splash
When they were taking photos, Dan noticed something in the background. There was something splashing in the water… Then, he saw that the group of people had gotten closer to them. What was going on?
It Happened So Fast
Angeline’s back was to the water, so she really had no idea what was going on. Everything happened before Dan could truly react or even grasp what was happening. He saw a black figure darting along the coastline… Was it a shark?
He Was About to Say Something
Dan wasn’t sure about what to do. He didn’t want to scare Angeline and they weren’t in any present danger, but something told him to keep shooting. In just a moment, he would be very glad that he did...
A Dolphin?
In a flash, a dolphin jumped out of the water! He couldn’t believe it and was in total shock that he had the dolphin perfectly framed in the shot. Dan made sure to take a bunch of pictures and kept clicking the trigger as much as he could. He needed to get this shot!
Changing The Mode
Somehow, his brain went into overdrive and, with superhuman speed, he switched the camera to burst mode so he could get even more frames. Just one second could make a difference and he had to make it count!
Breaching Again
The dolphin went back down into the water. Dan waited for it to reappear again and had Angeline pose for the shot. He was determined to make this the perfect shot! This was a memory that they would cherish forever and he didn’t want to miss it.
He Got It!
Somehow, someway, Dan got the shot. It was perfect. His wife looked stunning and the dolphin was framed perfectly. Dan was definitely going to frame this one!
Angelina Didn’t See It
Sadly, Angelina didn’t get to see the dolphin in person. After that one breach, the dolphin went back under the water and went on its way. She was extremely happy to see the photo come out perfectly, and she loved the way she looked!
Crazy Frames
Thanks to Dan’s trigger finger, he was able to capture the dolphin’s every move. He couldn’t believe his luck! This was such a special moment to capture as a small family. He had no idea how viral this was going to go!
Going Viral
Dan initially shared the photo with family and friends. The photos and the story ended up being spread all over the internet. People were in love with the story and looking for the deeper meaning behind it all…
Baby Boy Is Born!
Not long after the photos were taken, their baby boy was born! Courtland Thomas Mozer was born happy and healthy through smooth labor and delivery. Because of all of the hype, they decided to nickname him 'Aquaman' before he was born. When he came out, he had stunning blue eyes! Courtland absolutely picked the name.
A Whole New World
With the newfound internet fame, Angeline, Dan, and Courtland were obsessed with heading to the beach and reliving that lovely moment between them all. Being a parent is hard, so bringing Courtland back to the beach was a nice reminder of what life was really about/
Maternity Photos
Maternity photos are very popular these days. Not everyone can summon a dolphin to hang out in the background of their shots, but there are plenty of other ways that people can get creative!
A Milk Bath
Okay, this sounds gross, but it’s not as gross as it sounds! A milk bath is used to make a soft and dreamy looking photo. You can do whatever you want with it! You can put in flowers, food dye, anything to make it feel personal.
Long, Glam Dresses
Flowing dresses will make any shoot dramatic. If anything, this type of dress will make a maternity shoot extremely powerful! If you’re looking for a statement, this is the type of shoot that you want.
Belly Painting
This is a fun and unique way to show your personality through a maternity photo session. Plus, it can be fun for dad, too! Both parents can paint on mom’s belly to make this even more special and memorable.
Setting Is Important
If you’re not looking to do anything fancy, that’s fine! It’s important to choose a very cool location for a backdrop. A beautiful open field is way nicer than a brick wall!
Dramatic Contrast
This is more trendy and high fashion, but it’s just as fun. You’d need a studio setting for these types of photos and it’s up to the photographer to edit it to be dramatic. Plus, it gives leeway for fun before and after photos since you can get the lighting and setting the exact same.