11 Tips For Photographing Beautiful Maternity Photographs

Maternity click is one of the fastest-growing trends in the world of photography. Mothers now wish to cherish their special moments forever. These are some really appreciable and sentimentally appealing times which are best reflected in timeless photographs. This is the reason why maternity photographs are fun, challenging, and demand more care than usual.

Have a look at 11 of the best tips to make maternity photographs beautiful and awe-inspiring.

1. Indoors is okay, but…

Most of the maternity photography that you might have seen is done indoors in studios with a velvet finished backdrops. Though this is quite a great idea for some specific kind of pictures and may make your client more comfortable, you must at least try to come out of the studio and take a few pictures. Pregnant women might need to sit down and feel comfortable, which is the reason why they prefer to get pictured in a closed room. However, if the shoot has to be indoors anyway, you can choose to go to their home. This would breed familiarity, would make the client feel comfortable, and also give a brand new personal angle to the photos. This is worth a try.

2. Outdoors are great

These days, women like to be pictured outdoors. They present more opportunities to be creative with the pictures. You can go to a place where the couple met or where they frequently go. This would help in bringing a very personal connection with the pictures. On the aesthetic side, motherhood makes you feel one with nature. Therefore, natural landscapes would only enhance the feeling. Moreover, the women would get more than just a belly in the shot.

3. Wait until the right time

Usually, women must get photographed when she has achieved a full belly. 7 months of pregnancy is the best time to do so. The women have just entered their third trimester at this moment. So, their bellies are fully grown and quite shapely. They haven’t started to retain water as of now, which helps then in being more comfortable with their body. You can also choose a time that lies anywhere between month 7 to month 9. However, month 7 will be the best option as your client would not be too apprehensive about her shape. Plus, she would still be able to handle her belly comfortably, which is essential for a good photo session.

4. Dad’s presence ignites the spark

Till date, maternity photography has been mostly about the mother. However, the father of the child plays an important role in the pictures too. If you pose the couple together, you would be able to showcase their bond and even strengthen it for years to come. These would be perfect memories for the couple and the kid as well.

5. Include the children (and/or pets) as well

If there are already children in the family, you must definitely picture them with the mother. In fact, capturing the whole family together is a great idea. It makes maternity photography look great and also has a high sentimental appeal. If there are pets in the family, picture them playing and having fun. Just like natural landscapes, maternity photography would be more than just the belly here. The family bonds, the anticipation of the new arrival, etc., would be nicely highlighted here.

6. Be creative with angles

Don’t just take straight photographs. They would make the women appear bigger and bulkier than they are. Maternity photography is not restricted to a genre like portraits. You can easily take advantage of your creativity and imagination to come up with a completely new kind of shot. Take shots from a high angle, focus only on the belly, take pictures from the head down, or even take pictures with the client lying down, with or without her partner. All of them look amazing.

7. Try different poses

Standing or sitting poses are perfect, though you can even look for different mannerisms in the picture. Most of the people love the hand over belly or hands placed in the shape of a heart over the belly. These are truly some of the best-known poses known to all mothers. You can even go for different variations. Keep the partner’s hands over the belly, try to make it happen in different ways. This would make your pictures look amazing. Even a kid’s curiosity of the belly can be captured beautifully by you.

8. Don’t include props

Some maternity photographers include unnecessary props on the belly like ribbons. These are simply not needed. A woman looks divine with her pregnant belly and there is absolutely no need to use inanimate objects to make the picture look different. You can go for more abstract shots, creative angles, and even filters to get better results from the pictures.

9. Be natural

Try to be as natural as possible. While composing the frame, make sure that you capture eye contact, kisses, and smiles. All these elements make your picture worth a million dollars. These small elements make maternity photography worth the effort.

10. Capture unplanned moments too

Planned pictures are definitely a great click. Everything seems orderly and your frame composition looks perfect too. However, focus on clicking some natural and unplanned moments too. The expressions captured during these times are more beautiful and often surreal. The smiles would be warmers, the hugs would be tighter and the mood would be lighter and very natural too. This also gives you some great abstract pictures as well.

11. Baring the belly is not necessary

Not all women are comfortable with baring their bellies. In such a case, avoid forcing them. Instead, you must come up with a few creative ideas to showcase her maternity. The belly is anyway quite prominent in her figure, therefore, baring it or not would not make much difference in the picture. You can ask the client to wear very beautiful and comfortable clothes. Picture her in her favorite maternity dresses. The hand over the belly or a partner in the frame would make the picture look absolutely fantastic in either case.

While shooting maternity photographs, make sure that your client is comfortable. She might have to sit down frequently, take some rest, etc. You must allow this for her. Ask her to wear only the most comfortable clothes she has. This would help her in feeling better. Don’t just click pictures. Try to associate memories with the photographs and you would be able to get better results that are loved by your clients forever.