Our Anchorage photography studio welcomes newborns and families from across Alaska. From expecting mamas awaiting their due dates to families coming to town for a supply run, we’ll work with your travel plans to give you beautiful pictures without the hassle. 

For almost 15 years, Megan Marlene Photography has welcomed families from all over Alaska. For such a big state (the largest in the union!), we find ourselves quite connected. While other states may think two hours is a road trip, we think nothing of “running to Anchorage” for the weekend from Fairbanks (which is a seven-hour drive, btw) to stock up on groceries. And my in-laws regularly fly over from Bethel in western Alaska to visit the grandkids. It’s a beautifully unique situation to Alaska and unlike anywhere else I’ve ever lived. Here in Alaska, we’re all neighbors.

For expecting families, often all roads/planes/ferries lead to Anchorage. Many hospitals and clinics in our smaller towns and villages do not have labor and delivery units or are not set up to handle more complicated or high-risk cases, so expecting mothers are often sent to Anchorage to await delivery. In the past year, I’ve welcomed half a dozen families from Barrow (Utqiagvik), Cordova, and Naknek, to name a few. Each time, mom arrived about a month or so before her due date and we planned the maternity session for just as soon as she arrived, just in case the baby decided to arrive early.

I offer complimentary mini maternity sessions when booking a newborn session, which makes it so easy for my expecting mamas and helps save for newborn portraits, a blessing with the added expense of travel and an extended stay. The complimentary maternity sessions take place in the studio and I offer a fully size-inclusive studio wardrobe for the whole family, from mom to dad to siblings. This is especially helpful with the challenges of online shopping in remote villages and limited luggage when traveling. Don’t worry about packing an extra suitcase with outfits- I got you.

This lovely lady is my most recent mama from Cordova. Doctors were estimating an early delivery for baby, so we planned their maternity session for just three days after their arrival on the ferry. As luck would have it, baby decided to hang out for a while longer and go a couple of days past her due date. This pushed their return home even further and so when baby girl finally arrived, they booked tickets on the ferry ASAP, which meant our newborn session had to take place ASAP, too. We photographed baby girl at just three days old, my youngest ever, and she did beautifully! As soon as our session ended, the family headed straight for the Whittier tunnel to catch the ferry back to Cordova after a full month away. Mama was more than ready to be back home and settle in with their new little one. And in a few weeks, their order will be shipped to their doorstep, which we like to call easy-peasy.

Yes, Alaska is a unique place with unique situations, unique challenges, and even more unique beauty. We’re more than willing to put in the extra work needed to be able to live in such a beautiful place, surrounded by loved ones and more adventure than you could ever enjoy in a single lifetime. It’s home. And that’s why as an Anchorage Photography Studio, I love working with families from across Alaska and helping make these memories, whether welcoming a new baby or getting updated family pictures, be everything that you imagined it to be.