It is no longer news that a glowing pregnant woman can be captured in such a lovely way through maternity photography just before her baby is born.
However, even though you have the chance to make her feel like a million dollars as a photographer, you must also take precautions to ensure her comfort during what may be a stressful time in her life.
It’s crucial to prepare for these maternity shoot sessions, and have your bag of tricks, poses, and advice in your back pocket because doing so can help the pregnant woman, and everyone else feel less stressed.
Therefore, let’s get ready for some actions. Here are 18 maternity photography tips to help you get the ideal shots that will create priceless memories for a lifetime!
18 Maternity Photography Tips
Prepare Lenses for the Pregnancy Photoshoot
You can choose from a wide range of lenses during maternity photography sessions; long lenses will work just as well, and provide lovely compression, while wide-angle lenses will allow you to capture the entire scene. Just ensure to watch out for distortion when using wider-angle lenses, you would not want to make expectant mothers appear exaggeratedly big.
The following are some of the top lenses for maternity photography sessions:
35mm lens
This type of lens for photography offers the ideal focal length—not too long or too wide. It has the effect of providing a realistic vantage point, It essentially provides a realistic point of view while minimizing the mother’s body’s distortions.
50mm lens
A 50mm lens can be used to produce a shallow depth of field if the expecting couple wants to be creative with their maternity portraits. This allows you to remove background distractions, and concentrate more clearly on the expectant mother and her growing belly.
Employ Maternity Photo Shoot-Related Props
Encourage the parents to bring a few special mementos from their pregnancy to the session, such as an ultrasound photo or a special item bearing the child’s name.
These could give the portraits a unique, personal touch. When they enquire about your services or you send them a client questionnaire, this is a great question to ask!
If they are unable to come up with anything to include, you can even bring a few extras to the session! Be imaginative and make it unique for each client.
Be Prompt
33 to 36 weeks of pregnancy are typically the ideal time for a maternity shoot.
However, please consult with your client regarding any special circumstances regarding the timing of your client’s session.
Prepare Comfortable Clothes
Like any other type of photography, maternity portraits should consider the comfort of the subject’s clothing. Attire may depend on the couple’s decision to follow a theme or bracket.
For example, some expectant mothers prefer high-fashion styles, while others prefer casual attire. It is important to remind mothers to wear tight-fitting clothing in general.
Practice Different Camera Angles for Maternity Shots
These sessions are a great place to practice shooting fairly candidly. Nothing beats beautiful bokeh, putting the spotlight on a pregnant woman and her beautiful belly!
First, don’t forget to put your camera in manual mode so that you have more control over your camera settings.
Determine Proper Lighting
If you’re shooting maternity portraits in a studio or other indoor location, you can use large, soft lights to flood your images with fantastic lighting.
For outdoor bump to baby photoshoots, we recommend using natural light, especially when shooting at sunrise or sunset.
Additionally, a good photographer should get into the habit of bringing a flash or reflector to control fill light and highlight bumps.
Composition
Composition is key in portrait and maternity photography because it directs the viewer’s attention to the important elements; the mom, and her baby bulge. Even if the mother prefers black-and-white shots or relaxed pregnancy positions, a superb layout may alter the tone of the maternity photos.
Add Your Siblings
It’s a nice idea to include siblings in photographs, but it may be difficult to handle if they’re very little. Have something for the parents to do while the lady is getting solo shots done, such as an iPad or a coloring book with crayons.
Select a Maternity Session Location
Maternity sessions have infinite options, from breathtaking outside locations like beaches, and big open fields during golden to great inside works on seamless paper in dramatic costumes.
Take advantage of the stunning natural sights in your neighborhood.
Time Management During a Maternity Session
You can provide 30-minute and 60-minute for maternity photographs; however, if the customer chooses a small session, you might decide not to allow siblings, dogs, or other family members outside the mom and dad-to-be.
It’s all about that bump
Whether it’s casual, long, or dramatic, the fit is the most important factor here. Show your mom-to-be that a form-fitting dress for a pregnant woman is much more flattering, and flaunting your amazing baby bump before the shoot.
Learn some pregnancy poses
It’s natural for a mother-to-be to want to touch her tummy, but the trend should stop.
Give her tips and help her change her hand positions, and maternity poses during her shoot. Hands can be placed one on top of her belly, one on the bottom, one on top, and one on the bottom of her.
Elicit emotions
Provides tips for pregnant couples to understand what is going on when shooting maternity portraits.
Ask if there are any specific pregnancy poses you’d like to avoid, also make sure you feel comfortable taking pictures. In fact, it makes it easier for you to relax and express your genuine emotions.
Pricing for maternity photography
This varies greatly depending on your region/market, but the price for a maternity shoot is the same as any other portrait shoot using the same 3-pack portrait sheets. In that case, the price will be slightly different.
Take a short break
Remember that standing, multiple poses, and walking around can be tiring for moms with big bellies. Take short breaks between each pose and make sure drinking water is available on set. to You can also use this time for retouching and changing clothes.
Show Same Day Sneak Peek Photos
You can try it during your shots, and it can be especially fun if the parents-to-be are waiting to announce the pregnancy, the gender, or the name; help them do so with your gorgeous maternity photos. Sharing the same-day sneak peek shows your clients that you are committed to their experience and so excited to share their photos.
This gets them pumped to see the rest of the gallery. You can even opt to write a blog post and share that with your clients 4-5 days later with some of your favorite images!
Give Free Prints
Along the same lines as #17, consider sending a few FREE 4X6’s or 5X7’s a la Betsy to the new parents; they’ll definitely love you, and you’re making it easy for them to show off your work at their baby shower, and beyond.
Use an Image-Sharing Phone App
Pixieset and Shootproof now offer a free feature allowing you to send a custom app to your clients to install on their phones. This is a great way for new parents to show off their maternity photos to all those anxiously waiting for the baby to arrive.
Conclusion
Maternity photography is a great way to provide your clients with stunning photos that they will cherish forever.
Impressing your clients in this case can lead to future deals such as newborn photoshoots milestones, and family sessions.