With the growing trends of babymoons, newborn photography and fresh48 photography, we also have the portrait photography genre of maternity photography on the rise. Women from all over the world are no longer holding self-doubt about their changing bodies. Instead, they are now embracing and showing off their beauty with maternity photography!
If you are a photographer thinking about maternity photography, we’ve assembled some information here for you. It will hopefully give you a starting point which you can use to get into this wonderful genre.
TO LOVE BEAUTY IS TO LOVE MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY
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What is maternity photography
Maternity photography is the art of capturing the loving beauty of pregnant women in the prime of their pregnancy. Usually, maternity photography sessions take place during the second or third trimester of pregnancy when the moms-to-be can proudly show off their developing baby bumps.
Maternity photography is the art of capturing pregnant women in the prime of their pregnancy.
Maternity photography concepts
A lot of photographers have brought amazing creativity to this genre by developing new concepts around the body of a pregnant woman to showcase it more beautifully, including underwater and milk bath photography. As a photographer, you can also experiment with your creativity alternating from indoor shoots to outdoor shoots, studio and even water sessions. If you are planning to photograph a maternity subject, then here are a few things you need to keep in mind.
Initial preparation
Just like any other photography session, you need to prepare your equipment and your mind according to what the session is about to be. A pro tip for you is to design and plan a mood board! A mood board is where you collate your ideas and thoughts from your own experiences or from online sources. This will aide and will help you to design the mood of the session. Whether it is a fun shoot with a friend, or a paid commercial session you should have an outcome in your mind that will be conveyed to the client through your photography.
Be comfortable with maternity photography
Ensure your models are comfortable in their skin and are comfortable with you and your personality. It is a good idea to meet with the expectant moms before the session. Explain to them what you are looking for in the shoot and what is expected of them. Discuss costumes, hair and makeup with your models prior to the shoot to understand their comfort zone and ask them to bring a partner or close friend to the session if they would feel more comfortable.
If you feel they are awkward or nervous during the session, then start with a few easy poses and show the model the images in-camera. This will help them relax and begin to enjoy the session, and it will assure them of how beautiful the shoot is going to be!
Build a portfolio of your maternity photography
Create a maternity photography website and upload your best photographs to build a portfolio, and create and upload to social accounts such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Most maternity photographers will also specialise in generai portrait photography.
Maternity Photography Contracts
As with any type of photography where a service is provided, and whether paid or unpaid, you should always seek to have a contractual agreement between yourself (your maternity photography business) and the client. A maternity photography contract sets expectations that are binding. It is a signed agreement that outlines certain rights and obligations that will be fulfilled by each party.
TheLawTog® provide portrait photography contracts that are an invaluable component of any maternity photography business. Take a look at the portrait photography contracts that are available at TheLawTog® and decide whether they are a good fit for your photography business.
Posing tips for our moms-to-be
Side profile: This is an easy pose for the mothers to start getting more comfortable with the session. As you photograph ask them to turn a complete 90 degrees left or right in a way that the baby bump is accentuated. The mother can play with her hands on her belly or move them around as she pleases.
Emotion: Ask her to look down at her unborn baby and to imagine how much she loves the human that is growing inside her! The look on her face as the thoughts of love fill her heart will be a perfect opportunity for you to take a close-up of her face, then zoom out taking more photographs until you have her complete body in the frame.
Props
Adding in some props like announcement boards or flowers to this composition will make for some more dynamic photographs. Don’t forget to ask your client to bring along an ultrasound or 3D scan of the baby to use in the session.
Silhouettes
This is an ideal way to start a shoot if the moms are feeling camera shy. Start by placing your model against a plain background or between you and the sun to create a silhouette.
Outfits
Play around with outfits. Maternity photography sessions are usually done with long flowing dresses in outdoor locations. However, if you want to change things up you can go for other costumes such as button-down shirts, cardigans, hand-woven sweatshirts, or flowy skirts with crop tops. Using these outfits for posing can create a more playful mood for the session.
Partners
A mother is not alone in her maternity journey! You can get their partner, spouses or friends to accompany them on the session as well. A husband or wife on their knees kissing the baby bump or both the partners caressing the baby is a good way to start too. If you have a shy mom-to-be, then once she has become comfortable with the camera you will notice they will usually freely pose for solo pictures after a partner has become involved.
Siblings
If your models have an existing family with other children, you can include them in the session too. This will create a homely and family-oriented atmosphere. Don’t forget to add their furry friends to the family session!
Lenses
Having a wide range of quality lenses for a maternity session from 35mm to a 75-200mm will help you leave the session with a comprehensive range of excellent images.
Angles
Play around with different angles. Ask your models to lie down and then photograph a top-down view using a platform. You can also utilise the space around the models and put in some props to fill the frame. Photograph from the downside of a hill as the model moves towards you.
Techniques of maternity photography
When you are photographing at any session or location remember to set your aperture according to what your artistic vision. There is no one specific aperture required but try some photographs at f/2 to f/4.
The depth of field can be extremely small (especially of a close-by subject at 200mm focal distance), but the challenge will be worth it if you can nail the shot! The range of your ISO should be lower going anywhere between 100-400 depending upon the shutter speed you need and the lighting conditions.
Ensure that you have determined the right type of lighting for your shoot too. For example, if you are going for an indoor shoot in someone’s home, ensure that you first check out the location and lighting of that place so that you can prepare your equipment accordingly.
Getting extra lights during a studio shoot is almost mandatory whereas for an outdoor in-home session it would be your responsibility to select the correct time of the day to get the light right and to consider bringing additional lighting equipment.
Final words
Maternity photography is different from all other forms of photography in that the model is not just wearing the right makeup to look pretty. A maternity photography session is going to become a core memory for the moms-to-be, and for you to be able to craft some beautiful life-long keepsake photographs for them can be one of the greatest accomplishments for the maternity photographer!
Have fun with maternity photography!
There is so much beauty to behold in maternity photography.
