Maternity photography has become increasingly popular over the last decade. The anticipation of a new family member’s arrival is really celebrated through a professional photography session, capturing those precious moments in an artistic way. Maternity portraits vary depending upon when they are scheduled, the themes chosen and who will be present at the shoot.
The perfect time for maternity photography is usually during the middle of your second trimester (this can be adjusted according to your body size and the number of babies you’re having). If a client would like to schedule her shoot for a specific date, it’s usually best to keep track of when she’s at the tail-end of this stage to capture as many photos as possible that showcase how great she’s going to look in her new clothing.
It’s important to decide who will be featured in the photos. Obviously, the woman carrying your baby will be featured heavily, but what if you want to include her partner in some of the images as well? An alternate approach would be to feature a series of images showcasing just the woman and her pregnancy – which could often make for particularly gorgeous photographs that would then generally make for great gifts for her partner as well!
Where should the maternity shoot be done? Most maternity shoots require you to expose a great deal of skin, so it’s important for you to determine whether or not you would feel comfortable doing so in public spaces such as beaches, meadows, or city streets, or if you would prefer the privacy of a photography studio or your own home.
When considering the style of images desired, the subject’s personal style and personality will be a vital factor. Is the client looking for more modern or traditional styled maternity photography? Do they have a preference as far as color and lighting is concerned? Are they looking for erotic pregnancy portraits, or something more innocent or reserved? By asking these questions (or ascertaining what their desires are) and then looking at your client in person you’ll be able to ascertain a better idea of what style of shoot would work best for their individual preferences.
Once you have narrowed down on choosing between the styles and location, figuring out what to wear to your shoot should be a lot easier this time. It’s important that you wear maternity outfits. The best way to go about it is to wear clothes with the belly showing, semi-nudes with clothing, bathing suits or lingerie, semi-nudes with fabrics and sheers, or full nude maternity photography.
Picking out the right place to hang your family portraits is an important decision. Many people like having pictures in the living room, so that they can see these works of art when they’re entertaining guests. Any album you order will come with some samples of background and border patterns that you can use to design your own custom look to match your style!
After having done the professional maternity photography session, going ahead and having your newborn photography session run simultaneously while keeping mom close by is always a wise idea – framing certain body parts from the earlier session with mother to include in the final result of a beautiful wall collage that includes close ups of both her hands and belly plus those of baby feet, hands and face. Creating an album from mothers pregnancy portraits and ones taken afterward that include baby further ensures not forgetting all that took place to get you to this point.
