Mother in a grey tulle gown seated on the floor holding her baby, warm brown backdrop

Maternity, motherhood and women’s portraits in Anoka, MN

Imagine a day where you’re the one in focus

Pregnant woman holding dried pampas against her bump, warm backdrop

MATERNITY·MOTHERHOOD·EMPOWERMENT·ANOKA, MN·TWIN CITIES·MATERNITY·MOTHERHOOD·EMPOWERMENT·ANOKA, MN·TWIN CITIES·

Wall art

Picture your portraits on your wall

A gallery on a screen is easy to forget. A print above your sofa is something you see every morning. This is how a set of three acrylic prints can look in a living room.

Pregnant woman in white lying on billowing white fabric, seen from above
Woman in a colorful patterned jacket with a hand on her hip, dark brown backdrop

Welcome

When was the last time you were in the picture?

Scroll back through your camera roll. Birthdays, first days of school, the dog in a sweater. Now count the photos of you. If you’re the one who always holds the phone, that number is probably small, and it’s the reason this studio exists. Studio Freyja is a women’s portrait studio in downtown Anoka, MN, where for one session, you’re the one in focus.

Sessions

One studio for every chapter of you

Most photographers photograph the baby, the family or the milestone. I photograph the woman at the center of all of it, from the weeks before you meet your baby to the years when you finally make time for yourself.

Pregnant woman in a blush tulle gown against a dark brown backdrop, studio maternity portrait

Maternity portraits

The weeks you’ll want back most, photographed while they’re still here. Best between 28 and 32 weeks.

Learn more about maternity portraits

Mother and her four children standing together in sage and cream outfits

Motherhood portraits

Mommy and me portraits for the photos your kids will look for someday, with you finally in them.

Learn more about motherhood portraits

Woman in a gold sequin wrap dress seated beside pampas grass, warm backdrop

Empowerment portraits

A session for no one but you, at any age or size. Elegant, bold, or boudoir-inspired if you choose.

Learn more about empowerment portraits

I truly felt like a goddess. You have an amazing way of helping a woman feel special and beautiful even when they’re feeling a little foreign in their body.

Liz · Maternity client
Pregnant woman in a grey gown with flowing fabric on a tan backdrop, studio maternity photos in Anoka, MN
Studio Freyja, Anoka Studio Maternity Photographer

Posing

You don’t have to know how to pose

Almost every woman arrives not knowing what to do with her hands. That’s exactly why I direct every detail, from the tilt of your chin to the angle of your shoulders. Your only job is to breathe.

Before you decide

Four things most women don’t know about portrait sessions

Most women talk themselves out of portraits for the same four reasons. Every one of them is easier to solve than you’d think.

You don’t need to know how to pose

Models don’t pose themselves either. Someone directs them. In the studio, that someone is me, so you never stand there wondering what to do with your hands.

“When I feel ready” rarely comes

Not the right weight, not the right season, not enough time. There will always be a reason to wait, and the years keep moving anyway. The version of you right now is the one your family will want to remember.

Light matters more than location

The most flattering portraits come from soft, controlled light, not a scenic backdrop. The studio’s window light looks the same in January as in June, so a Minnesota winter is no reason to wait.

A photo on your phone isn’t a keepsake

Phones get replaced and accounts get closed. The portraits that last are the ones your family can hold, hang and hand down.

How it works

From first message to framed print, in four steps

01

Book and plan

Your session fee reserves your date. Then we meet for a consultation to review outfits and plan your session.

02

Your session

About 60 to 90 minutes at the studio or outdoors, with every pose directed for you.

03

Your ordering appointment

About a week after your session, we meet on Zoom to see your images together and choose what you’ll keep.

04

Gallery and products

Your digital gallery is ready within 3 weeks of your session. Products take 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the time of year.

Woman seen from behind lifting a framed maternity portrait against a white paneled wall

On your wall

Portraits are meant to be hung

Choosing your wall art is the most fun part of the process. Bring a photo of the wall you have in mind to your consultation, and we’ll plan the sizes together.

Heirlooms

What happens after the session?

It’s the part most photographers skip, and the reason so many beautiful galleries are never opened again. Here, your portraits become linen albums, matted prints and wall art, chosen together at a relaxed ordering appointment on Zoom.

Session fee $300. Most clients invest about $2,500.

Woman in a black suit seated on a stool, boudoir-inspired empowerment portrait
Woman in a floral dress seated on a cube against a purple backdrop
Expecting couple sitting on the studio floor in jeans with their dog

The studio

Downtown Anoka, not downtown traffic

Studio Freyja is on the second floor of the historic post office building at 300 E Main St, Anoka, MN 55303. There’s an elevator, a private changing room and a vanity for touch-ups, with a parking lot behind the building. It’s an easy drive from Ramsey, Andover, Coon Rapids, Champlin, Elk River and Blaine.

Journal

From the journal

Pregnant woman in a white wrap dress with her partner's hands on her bump
Studio Freyja, Twin Cities Maternity Photographer

Maternity

What to wear for maternity photos in a Minnesota winter

Read the post

Pregnant woman in lavender tulle seated on the studio floor, wide maternity portrait in Anoka, MN

Your session

How to feel less awkward in front of the camera

Read the post

Portrait of a mother and her daughters displayed above a wooden dresser

Heirlooms

Why printed portraits outlast the photos on your phone

Read the post

Woman in a crop top and ripped jeans seated on the studio floor with her arm raised

Your turn

Let’s get you in front of the camera for once

Mother sitting on the floor with her three young daughters wrapped around her
Pregnant woman in a black bralette and jeans seated with a hand on her bump
Woman in a teal dress resting her chin on her hands, warm brown backdrop
Woman in a blue dress seated against a dark blue backdrop
Close-up of a pregnant bump wrapped in white fabric
Pregnant woman in a black long-sleeve bodysuit cradling her bump against a pink backdrop
Studio Freyja, Twin Cities Maternity Photographer