Pregnancy Portraits - Getting Professional Maternity Photography
Maternity Portraits have become very popular over the last ten years. The pregnancy of each child is looked on as a special event for the family that should be documented with professional photography - almost as significant as the wedding photographs in terms of the evolution of a family. For the professional photographer and client there are several key elements to consider when creating the maternity portraits.
The best timing for the maternity session is when the woman’s stomach is nice and round - but not so far along in the pregnancy that the baby may come before the pictures are taken or when there is likely to be more swelling of the feet and hands. Thirty-two to thirty-six weeks is usually a good formula so that the belly is very curvy, but the woman is still feeling good and without much swelling in the extremities.
Another consideration is who will be in the photos? Obviously the pregnant woman will be in them, but who else should be in them? One approach is to include the family members that will be the most significant part of the baby’s life - which usually includes both parents and any siblings. A different approach would be to do the project as a study of just the woman and her pregnancy - which is then sometimes given as a gift to her partner as a surprise.
Choosing the location for the maternity session is key. Things to think about are whether the woman would be comfortable showing some skin in public places like a beach, city scape or meadow - or would it be better to have more privacy and do the session at a photography studio or at home?
The style of the shot will make a big difference for the overall feeling of the photos. To get ideas of the desired style, look on the internet for other pregnancy portraits and maternity photographs. Styles can range from moody and shadowy to light and airy to modern and funky.
So what should you wear for the maternity session? After having looked into the styles and locations, what to wear should be a little easier to decide. The basic choices are maternity photography with street clothes (usually with belly showing), semi-nudes with clothing, semi-nudes with fabrics, or just plain nude.
After having decided to do the session, another thing to think about is where to put the resulting prints from the session. If they are family portraits that are clothed, they may be able to hang anywhere in the house. If they are more black&white nude pregnancy portraits it may be better to hang these in the bedroom. Another great choice is to consider a fine art maternity album for the images.
After having done the professional maternity session, adding an artistic newborn photography session would be an excellent idea. Framed body parts from the maternity session including close ups of hands and bellies can be combined into a modern wall collage with close-ups of baby feet, hands and face. Creating an album from the pregnancy portraits and newborn portraits is another wonderful way to celebrate the new life in your family.
Leave a Reply