Carlsbad Maternity Photographer
In 50 years, these photos will be Your Most Treasured Possession
Because This Moment Deserves to Be Remembered
Pregnancy is one of those rare seasons of life where time somehow moves both incredibly fast and impossibly slow.
One day, you’re seeing those first tiny kicks and imagining the moment you’ll finally meet your baby - and before you know it, everything changes.
These fleeting months deserve to be captured in a way that feels natural, effortless, and beautifully true to you.
Whether you envision a sunset beach session or a relaxed studio maternity shoot,
every session is thoughtfully guided to feel easy, comfortable, and meaningful from beginning to end.
Based in Carlsbad, I photograph maternity sessions throughout North County San Diego - from my studio in Carlsbad Village, to Oceanside, Encinitas, San Diego, and beyond.
“
I have always known
it was you
“
A Maternity Session Designed With You in Mind
What to wear?
I provide a simple, flattering wardrobe guide to help you feel comfortable and confident for your session.
Direction in front of the camera?
Every session is thoughtfully guided with natural direction and classic retouching included.
Wondering what to do with the photos?
From framed artwork for the nursery to heirloom albums and gallery walls,
your images are designed to become meaningful pieces you’ll enjoy every day.
Many of my clients begin with a maternity session,
then continue with newborn portraits and family sessions as their story grows.
"I cried when I saw how beautiful my belly looked! I'm so grateful."
- The o'Haras
This session will mean more than you ever expected
Right now, you might be thinking,
“Do I really want maternity photos?”
But here’s the truth: as the months pass and your baby finally arrives, you’ll look back at this time with a kind of nostalgia that’s hard to put into words.
Your body is doing something incredible.
This chapter deserves to be remembered.
Maternity photos aren’t just for you right now—they’re for your future self, for your baby, and for the family you’re building.
And the best part? You don’t have to do a thing except show up and enjoy the moment.
A Session To Celebrate
Celebrate this special time with a maternity session that beautifully captures your journey to motherhood.
I can’t rave enough about Heather! I was searching for a family photographer after recently moving to California, and found her beautiful work. She is professional, kind, responsive, organized, and talented! We are so happy with the photos she captured for us!
Emily
Heather is absolutely fantastic! I was a little nervous that it would be difficult to capture my wiggly 9 month old, but Heather was so sweet with him and got some wonderful images that really capture his little personality. She is such a professional and from the moment we started the shoot she had such a good rhythm and direction for us. Each image is perfect, we love them all!
Whitney
We have used Heather as our photographer for the last 9 years, and I cannot say enough about how fabulous her photos are! She is patient and kind and so easy to work with (even my kids look forward to seeing her), and she captures the most precious moments. I highly recommend Vallentyne Photography- you will not be disappointed!
Carolyn
Session Details
Portrait Session, $290
Your session fee covers the planning, portrait session, and a personalized ordering appointment.
PRINT Collections BEGIN AT $990
After your session, you'll choose your favorite images and decide what you'd love to take home. Whether that's framed wall art, an album, printed photographs, or digital images, I'll help you create something you'll enjoy for years to come.
Get In Touch
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE
For over 20 years, I’ve been photographing growing families in Carlsbad and beyond. Many of my clients start with their maternity session and continue with me for their newborn photography, family portraits, and every milestone after.
It’s an honor to be a part of these lifelong stories, and I take that trust seriously.
With 5-star Google reviews and countless families who return year after year, you can rest easy knowing you’re in good hands. My job isn’t just to take photos—it’s to create an experience that feels natural, comfortable, and completely true to you.
I specialize in natural studio maternity photography for expecting mamas in North County San Diego.
Whether you’re dreaming of classic black-and-white silhouettes, soft natural light portraits, or a simple and elegant indoor pregnancy photoshoot,
I’ll guide you every step of the way. Your session includes styling support, full-service artwork, and a calm, cozy studio space where you can feel beautiful, relaxed, and celebrated.
Vallentyne Photography is a portrait studio in Carlsbad, CA, serving families throughout North County San Diego and surrounding coastal communities.
With 20 years of experience, we specialize in natural, timeless portraits for families, maternity, newborns, and seniors — photographed on location or in our beautiful, natural light studio. Our goal is to make the experience feel relaxed, meaningful, and easy from start to finish while creating artwork you’ll love for years to come.
The older kids get, the more parents tell me, "We`re overdue." Life gets busy and family photos get pushed to someday. Until suddenly everybody looks different. #VallentynePhotography #FamilyPhotography #CarlsbadFamilyPhotographer #BeachFamilyPhotos #NorthCountyFamilies #OceansidePhotographer #FamilyPortraitSession #SanDiegoFamilies #MemoriesMatter
𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
One day you`ll look back and realize these quiet moments together were the good old days. The ordinary days. The ones that felt normal at the time.
#VallentynePhotography #BeachPhotography #FamilyPortraits #CarlsbadPhotographer #CouplesSession #NorthCountySanDiego #OceansideBeachPhotos #FamilyMemories #SunsetPortraits
𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
Something new at Vallentyne Photography!
If you follow me here for family, maternity, newborn, or senior portraits, you may not know that I also photograph professional headshots and personal branding.
And now that I have my Carlsbad Village studio, I’ve created a whole new experience specifically for it: Modern Headshots.
These are for business owners and professionals who want photographs that feel polished and professional, but still approachable and like you.
Modern Headshots include professional hair and makeup, multiple wardrobe looks and backgrounds, plenty of guidance with posing and expression, and 2 professionally retouched images.
My first Modern Headshots Day is October 15 at the studio.
I’ve also created a separate page here on Instagram just for my headshot and branding work: @vallentynebranding
So if you’re the face of your business, come follow me over there! I’ll be sharing lots more headshot and personal branding inspiration.
And if your own headshot could use an update, send me a message and I’ll send you the October 15 details.
𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
Every newborn photo is really a love story. Not just about the baby, but about the people whose hearts changed forever the moment they arrived.
#VallentynePhotography #NewbornPortraits #CarlsbadNewbornPhotography #StudioPhotographer #NorthCountyFamilies #BabyPhotography #FamilyConnection #OceansidePhotographer #NewbornSession
𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
The photos are really for later. That`s what so many families tell me. Not for social media. Not for next week. For the future version of themselves who wants to remember everyone exactly like this.
#VallentynePhotography #ExtendedFamilyPhotography #BeachPortraits #CarlsbadPhotographer #FamilyConnection #NorthCountyFamilies #OceansidePhotography #FamilyMemories #SanDiegoPhotographer
𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
When the kids decide Mom is going in the ocean… 😂
This is the kind of moment I love during a family session—the completely unplanned ones that end up becoming part of the story.
Beautiful portraits are important, but so are the laughs, the chaos, and the moments you couldn`t have planned if you tried. 🤍
Family portraits in San Diego | Vallentyne Photography
#OceansideFamilyPhotographer #SanDiegoFamilyPhotographer #NorthCountySanDiegoPhotographer #SanDiegoFamilyPhotography #oceansidefamilyphotos
