My maternity photoshoots have come a long way in the last few years. Gone are the days of cheesy close up photos of bumps with mums hands in the shape of a heart. Instead, I now focus on the fabulous woman stood in front of me and not just her bump. 

My maternity photos are definitely different to most other photographers and I thought I would share with you my process for creating these striking images. 

How I Do it

My maternity photos boil down to 5 components; styling, posing, lighting, editing and empathy. 

Styling

Styling is really important. My photos are glamorous rather than casual so mums are encouraged to do their hair and makeup accordingly or I can book a makeup artist for you. 

I choose the maternity gowns which I think will best suit my client’s shape and I team it with accessories that finish off the look. 

Finally I pick which colour backdrop I think will compliment both the dress and mum’s colouring. 

Posing

Most expectant mums arrive at my studio feeling excited and a little bit nervous. They have seen my maternity portfolio and love my work but now that it’s their turn in front of the camera they worry that they won’t be able to pose like the gorgeous mums on my website. 

I promise there really isn’t any need to worry. I direct my clients and tell them exactly how to pose and I adapt the poses depending on body shape and the choice of dress. If a client looks awkward or uncomfortable, I adjust the pose or change it completely.

Lighting

Correct lighting is crucial for all types of photography but even more so for maternity portraits. The position of my lights can either make you look contoured and glowing or they can highlight every blemish and pesky stretch mark on your body. 

Lighting isn’t something I can fix in photoshop after you have gone so I adjust my lights for every shot depending on the pose and the look we are trying to achieve. 

Editing

I aim to get beautiful shots straight out of camera but I’m not going to lie, my maternity photos are heavily edited and I make zero apologies for that. 

I have a good reason though. 

Ladies come to me when they are around 32 weeks pregnant. They feel huge. They usually have swollen ankles, a few stretch marks, a bit of pregnancy acne and they generally just don’t feel their best. Then they put on one of my gowns, I pose them, tweak my lights, turn my huge fan on and tell them to find their inner Beyonce. They laugh, I laugh, it breaks the ice and then we can have some fun. 

Every mum tells me how much she enjoyed her maternity shoot and how she can’t wait to see the photos. Now it’s my job to make them look every bit as fabulous as they felt and I do this using the magic of photoshop. I do a little bit of nipping and tucking and then I might add a bit of volume here and there. Often I’ll get a bit arty and make my gowns look like they could fill an arena and then I might place a bit of glitter on top to finish off the look. 

I do all of this so that when my client sees their photo they are totally wowed. They never knew they could look THAT good. They are proud of their body and now they have gorgeous photos to look back on that remind them of how amazing they felt for the hour or two they were with me. 

Empathy 

This one is easily overlooked but I think it’s really important. 

I wanted a baby for years before we had our daughter. I imagined pregnancy to be the most amazing experience (and it definitely was) but it wasn’t exactly like I had pictured. 

I remember feeling tired, nauseous, hormonal and fat. 

I had originally planned on having a maternity shoot but then I couldn’t find a photographer that I trusted enough to photograph me at a time when I felt completely unlike myself. That’s why I decided to take a totally different approach to maternity portraits. 

There are countless photographers out there that will sell you a maternity photo shoot based on the idea of capturing a moment and they will make you feel like it doesn’t matter if you don’t feel your best because a maternity shoot is about your baby and not about you. 

I totally disagree with that. 

A maternity shoot is 100% about you. We can focus on your baby at their newborn shoot. Right now, you and your body are doing something life changing and you deserve to have a photo of yourself that makes you feel incredible and those photos don’t happen by accident. 

How to Book 

If you have any questions about my maternity sessions, or would like to book a shoot, I would love to hear from you. Visit my contact page for all of my details.