As a maternity photographer, I strive for each woman to tell their own story through pictures. Molly was simply a happy go lucky woman who wanted images that showed that off. Her personality shone through with each click of the camera.

What to wear in a maternity photoshoot?

As I build my client closet, I look for items that are fun and unique. Items with texture or something unexpected. This red bodysuit not only looked stunning with Molly’s gold hair and sunkissed skin, but had a bit of flare, just like her.

What about nude maternity portraits?

I do nude maternity portrait sessions as well or at least a portion of the session nude. However, beautiful as it is, nude maternity photography is not for everyone. Often times I use beautiful material to cover the lady bits while still making beautiful images.

No matter what you choose to wear, your maternity session is uniquely yours. If I don’t have something specific for your taste, there are several vendors to choose from (even some rental places). If you think “I am only going to wear it once”, you can always resell it. Alternatively, if it’s something I am dying to have for my client closet, I can always take it off the price of your session and keep it. Among my favorite maternity dress designers are Sew Trendy, Silk Fairies, and Katharina Hakaj Couture. Ready to book your session? Contact me today!

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The day of the photoshoot

Arriving pretty early to the studio, I look around and start moving things around to form just what is in my minds eye. The key light goes there and the reflector here. The flooring is placed just so and the perfect background is chosen. I test the lights, my camera and everything is a go.

The momma-to-be walks into the studio and I show her to where the wardrobe is. I show her the setups and we begin. We have great fun exchanging various stories about the trials and tribulations of motherhood. We laugh about the feeling of being huge, but also revel in the fact that we are amazing creatures able to grow humans.

After spending nearly 90 minutes photographing this gorgeous woman, we say goodbye. It is awkward during this time of COVID. There are no hugs goodbye, but rather an alcohol wipe as a term of endearment. Sigh, will we ever get back to the days where we hug hello and goodbye?

Post Production

The maternity photo doesn’t end when I push the shutter button. In my vision, I see the end result. What I just photographed is only part of the equation. I have spent endless hours watching webinars, asking questions in my Facebook groups and staring endlessly at good ole YouTube videos. This is where I take a good maternity portrait and turn it into a great one. I know many people are opposed to photoshop believing somehow it is not authentic, but I am here to tell you I will use a myriad of software applications to elevate a photograph without hesitation to give you a piece of art. That is what I feel creativity is. You are hiring me to be creative and take portraits in a certain style. That creativity is a process from idea, to the technical lighting stuff to post production. I am not sure this needs to be said, but this really applies only to my studio work. Birth photography is an entirely different animal.

I really hope you love these as much as I do…this was almost exactly the idea I had in my head before I touched anything. If you would like to discuss your ideas for your maternity photography shoot, contact me here. A special thank you goes out to Nick Rail Music for their stunning instruments.

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