Pregnancy is such a special time in a woman’s life, although I’ve heard it can be pretty uncomfortable! I mean, that should be obvious as you’re literally growing a baby inside of you (wowzah!). Having a maternity session during pregnancy is in no way necessary, but I must say, I do wish there were more of my own mother whilst she was pregnant with me. It’s just crazy to think YOU are inside there, so it’s a lovely idea for when your child is old enough to understand where they came from. It’s celebrating YOU! Because pregnancy is beautiful.
With that being said, I’ll get to the whole point of this post, do you have an in-home session, or studio? I’ll be showing a couple of examples of each.
IN-HOME
I absolutely adore this photograph of Andrea and her little girl giving her sibling a kiss. The great thing about in-home sessions is it’s where most are comfortable. You’re in your own environment which makes it feel more natural. As it was also Christmas time it was lovely to have the tree in the background. I also loved the jukebox they had on the wall, it really makes the image your own. It’s highly unlikely someone is going to have the same décor as you, making it more individual.
Images sat in front of a fire place?! Dreamy. That's the only place I want to be. Another pro for in-home sessions is you don’t have to leave the house! No need to find a baby sitter if you have young children as I’ll come to you. How great is that? I can even bring my mobile studio if you did want some in a more formal setting too.
STUDIO
Naomi and Ryan were my first couple to come to my studio for a maternity session and I loved it! I think they turned out really well. I did some research on poses for maternity and we found some positions which looked great for them both.
Although I am all for making each session individual, I think the heart hands on bump pose is going to be something everyone has to do, ‘cause it’s super sweet. I would also recommend bringing props with you, or have them ready if you have a home session. I know I get really excited when I imagine there’s going to be a baby in the tiny clothes and booties. This will also work well if you’re going to have a new-born session, so your baby can be in the clothing you were holding to your bump – from bump to baby images (can’t wait!).
It’s really amazing how many poses you can do in an hour. We had half an hour with both Naomi and Ryan, in the last half hour we kicked Ryan off the stage and Naomi had some time to have some with just her and bump.
When it comes to props we can add or take away as much as you would like. I love the really simple images with just a blanket to sit on. I had some fake flowers and a flower crown in the studio and I thought they would suit Naomi and add something different to the image.
Silhouettes are stunning for maternity photographs as it shows off the bump! This can be done in the studio and at home in front of a window.
Whether you’re having a in-home or studio session I will try and make the setting as comfortable as possible, I have heating in my studio so I can make it nice and warm. Or cool it down as the weather is finally warming up now!
It is truly an honour to do these photoshoots, to be a part of this wonderful experience and be able to document it. I hope this has given you an idea of what could be done with both, and there is always the option of going to a location too! I personally would love to do one at a sunflower field (or any kind of flower field) during the summer. So if you know anyone who would be up for this, let me know!
Even if you’re just having a gander and aren’t pregnant, thank you for reading and having a look at my work!
Have a great day!
Lucy x