I love photographing pregnant women. Seriously, it is such a special time in their lives and to be able to share in their pregnancy, even if only for a few hours, means a lot to me. Over the years, I’ve found that for many women, this is their first formal portrait since they were married and, for some, they hadn’t been to a photo studio since their high school senior portrait session. So I thought it might be a good idea to share some of the top tips I have for a successful maternity portrait session.
1. Moisturize your entire body every single day. As your body changes and blossoms, your skin will need a little extra help to stretch gently. By moisturizing frequently, you will have a better chance at having minimal stretchmarks. Be sure to get every part of your body – elbows and knees too! My favorite moisturizer is shea body butter.
2. Drink plenty of water throughout your pregnancy. Water helps the skin even more than moisturizing. But when you do both on a daily basis, your skin will have a flawless, more radiant glow.
3. Schedule your portrait session for when you will be about 34-36 weeks pregnant. By this time, you will have a beautifully shaped tummy, but not be too tired out.
4. Pamper yourself with a manicure and pedicure the day before your session. By the time you come in to the studio for your photo shoot, you may be too big to easily manage painting your own toes. So take a break and let someone else do this for you. It may be one of the last times you get an uninterrupted hour to yourself once the baby arrives.
5. On the day of your session, come in wearing as little undergarments as you feel comfortable. This will help keep your skin from getting indentations from straps and such which can take a while to naturally fade away. I usually suggest coming in a loose maxi dress or even a wrap dress, no bra and commando. Be brave…you only live once!
6. Your clothing choices should reflect your personality, but also bring some simpler items too. My best suggestions for what to bring along include: 2 solid color bra & panty sets (one black and one white are good), a patterned or colored bra and coordinating panty, a dress that shows your personality, button down or zipper jeans (not maternity ones) and a button down blouse.
7. Bring dad with you. Yes, you will be the star of the show, but dad is just as important and you’ll thank me later for urging you to convince him to come along.
8. Dad’s clothing choices are important too and should also reflect his personality. I usually recommend a couple of different solid color shirts – button down and pull-over are great, two pairs of pants – one dressy and one casual. Be sure his outfits compliment yours.
9. I encourage you to bring some props! Your pregnancy sonogram, baby shoes and any other special momentos will add your own special flair to your pregnancy photos.
10. Hair and makeup are significant as well. You can book with our preferred stylists who will pamper you here at the studio right before your session, or you can book with your own stylist, or you can do your own. Whatever works for you, works for me.
Message me when you are ready to book your own pregnancy portrait session by clicking the “book a session” button below and we’ll set up a consult time so that we can discuss your ideas for your own pregnancy pictures.
Great tips and beautiful momma-to-be!!!!