In the past decade, professional maternity photography has grown in popularity as families have increasingly celebrated the anticipated birth of each child with a photo session. If you’re considering getting pregnancy portraits done, there are some key elements to think about, including timing the maternity session, who should be included, and what to wear.
Timing is everything when it comes to maternity sessions. You don’t want to do them too early and not have a noticeable baby bump. On the other hand, you don’t want to wait too late so that the mother-to-be is swollen and uncomfortable. The sweet spot is usually 32 to 36 weeks. Of course, if the mom is expecting more than one baby, then adjust the timing accordingly.
Another thing to think about when it comes to maternity photography is who will be in the photos. Obviously, the pregnant woman will be the star of the show. But who else makes an appearance? One option is to include the people who will be most involved in the baby’s life–usually both parents and any siblings. Another approach is to make it a study of just the woman and her pregnancy, which can be given as a gift to her partner later.
There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding where to do a maternity shoot. The woman needs to decide if she wants to show a lot of skin, and if so, whether she would feel comfortable doing that in public. If she prefers more privacy, a studio or home session might be a better option.
It is important to carefully consider the desired style of the resulting images. Do you want them to be more moody and shadowy, or light and airy? Should they be more traditional, or sexy, or fun and funky? You can figure out the style or styles of the maternity photography that you like by looking at examples on the internet.
Now that you know the location and style of your photoshoot, it will be easier to decide what to wear. For maternity sessions, you can choose to show off your belly, do semi-nudes with clothing, bathing suits or lingerie, do semi-nudes with fabrics and sheers, or full nude maternity photography.
Once you’ve decided to have a maternity photoshoot, you’ll need to think about where to display the resulting prints. If you’re planning on hanging family portraits, they can go anywhere in the house. But if you’re considering more black and white nude pregnancy portraits, it might be better to hang them in the bedroom. Another great option is to create a fine art maternity album for all the images.
After having done the professional maternity session, adding an artistic newborn photography session would be an excellent idea. A modern wall collage could be created by framing body parts from the maternity session- such as close ups of hands and bellies- and combining them with close-ups of baby feet, hands, and face. Another wonderful way to celebrate the new life in your family is by creating an album from the pregnancy portraits and newborn portraits.
