I'm a professional maternity photographer in South Wales and I’m going to share some of my secrets. Five practical steps to take your photos to another level. They might seem simple but trust me, these tips are what will take your images from boring selfies to something you’d be proud to frame!
One - Find your light.
You don’t need lots of fancy, expensive studio lighting to create gorgeous photos. In fact I NEVER use artificial light when shooting, natural light is your friend! If you are taking your photos at home I suggest taking them around midday when the sun is nice and bright, go around your home at this time of day and see which rooms have the best light. Place yourself in front of a window and get snapping! Be sure to turn off any indoor lights so the natural light doesn’t have to compete.
If you are creating your D.I.Y maternity photos out in nature then aim for ‘the golden hour’. This is the hour before sunset when the light is warm, golden and will give your photos that beautiful soft glow!
Two - Get silly.
Create a playlist of some of your favourite songs, the ones you can’t help but dance to! Mine would have to include ‘A Town Called Malice’ and absolutely anything from James Brown! Remember this is a fun thing you’re doing so just get into and enjoy it. Have a little boogie whilst you’re shooting, have fun, loosen up a little and it’ll make for more relaxed looking images.
Also dancing helps reduce stress, bonus! The secret to avoiding stiff, forced and awkward images is movement! So dance like nobody is watching, snap a 1,000 images and choose your favourite!
Three - Bare the bump.
If you’ve had a look through my portfolio you’ll see some shots of Mums with their bumps bare. I LOVE these shots as do a lot of the Mums I’ve worked with. However some Mums have told me they don’t feel comfortable having me create those images of them which is completely understandable, we all have different comfort levels and relationships with our bodies.
BUT I think that taking these pictures yourself is the perfect opportunity to create some bare bump shots. I know how it can be seeing your belly grow, it brings a mix of emotions. Some days you feel beautiful, neigh, gorgeous when you see your wonderful curves, other days you can feel a little more like a barrel on legs. I get it! But honestly your body is doing such a miraculous thing, a thing of wonder and beauty and it deserves to be photographed in all its glory!
I’m not saying you have to share semi-naked maternity portraits on all your social media accounts....unless of course you want to in which case, go you! Take them for yourself, so that you’ll always remember how your body expanded to carry a whole world within it!
Four - Sibling love.
If this pregnancy isn’t your first then of course you want to create some pregnancy photos which involve your older child(ren).
Now depending on the age of your kid(s) this can be a little tricky. I’ve done my fair share of negotiating with toddlers about getting in on the bump portraits! Let me share with you some of my favourite prompts and ‘poses’ for sibling shots.
> Cuddle up together and read your child’s favourite stories
.> Ask big brother/sister if they can hear baby singing/talking
.> Get them to play with their favourite toy with bump. e.g ride trains over bump, get cuddly toysto give bump a hug
.> Point to a spot on your bump and ask if big sibling can feel baby kicking.
>Have some small stickers to hand and allow big sibling to put them onto your tummy.
If big sibling doesn’t want to join in, I suggest you just start taking pictures alone, talking with bump and exclaiming about what a good time you’re having with bump. I find this usually lures siblings in without having to force them!
Five - Strike a pose.
You obviously want these photos to show off your blooming bump and how you stand in front of the camera can really effect that.
Don’t stand straight on to the camera, because head on, bump can seemingly disappear!
Instead stand at either a 45 degree angle or completely side on. Stand tall, good posture, put your weight on the leg furthest from the camera and have a gentle bend in the leg closest to the camera. This pose will help bump really pop and give you lovely soft curves. Then just play with this pose a little, caress bump, look down at bump, move your hands around however feels natural.
Six - A bonus tip!
The final thing is ENJOY this! Make a real event of it, have a nice pamper beforehand, do your hair put on your favourite underwear and be a bit indulgent! If you can get your partner or a friend to help you with these it’s a real fun way to spend time together, create some fun memories and have the pictures so you never forget!
To give you some inspiration or just to have a nosey at what a maternity session with me looks like then please click here.
I’m always sharing images and stories of Motherhood over on Instagram so come and say hi!
To talk about creating your maternity photos together reach out to me here.
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