Congratulations, you are pregnant! Whether you are feeling gorgeous and powerful or big and puffy; these five secrets will help you take gorgeous maternity photos.
1.) Good Photographer
It cannot be overstated that your photos greatly depend on the photographer you choose. There is a reason why you are paying them and that is for their expertise. It truly does make a difference in the quality of your photos. The biggest advice I can give you is to pick a photographer whose aesthetic matches your own. If you like moody photos, choose a photographer who edits that direction. If you like light and airy photos, choose a photographer who can handle that type of photo. Don’t feel bad being picky on this as it makes all the difference in the outcome of your photos. BUT I will be very clear that you need to pick a photographer within your budget. Do not go broke trying to pay for maternity photos. It’s a balancing act finding a photographer who fits the look you like while also fitting in your budget.
2.) Pick and Outfit You Are COMFORTABLE In
You are pregnant and with that comes a ton of body changes. It is so important to find something to wear that you are comfortable in for your maternity photos. There are a ton of outfits that you can choose for these maternity photos, but don’t feel pressured into a certain type of outfit. Pick whatever makes you feel beautiful and comfortable because that will transfer through to the photos. If you choose an outfit that you are uncomfortable in or doesn’t feel like you, that will come through in the photos that are taken. An example of this that I struggled with is a form fitted dress versus a flowing dress. In general I drift towards form fitting dresses that land before my knee than I do flowing dresses down to my feet. However, since I was feeling big and uncomfortable, I knew I would like the outlook of the photos better if I chose a flowing dress that wasn’t tight.
3.) Pamper Yourself
One of my biggest recommendations is pampering yourself before your photo session! For me that meant splurging at Drybar for someone to style my hair. The reason I suggest this is because your hormones are at their highest, especially as you get closer to your due date. At this point I was seriously so filled with hormones, everything made me cry and I felt so self conscious about my belly and how much my face had swelled up. Going out and getting my hair done made all the difference in how I felt during out photo session. I felt beautiful and a bit more like myself! Trust me, this is an area to splurge on as it will make you feel so much better!
4.) Keep Expectations Low
When you look at Pinterest, all you see are the best of the best maternity photos. Chances are you will not love every photo that is taken of you when you are pregnant. You will have those photos where you don’t like the angle or the way your face or body looks. That is completely normal and to be expected. You may also go into the photos expecting certain shots that you had seen online. The online problem with holding out hope for a certain shot is that they rarely live up to your expectation. I would highly recommend going in with your expectations a bit lower. Be okay that a different shot might be your favorite, that you may not like them all, and that it may be a bit harder emotional than you planned. But speaking from experience, looking back at those photos after having my daughter is everything! I may look different, but I love the photos and cherish them!
5.) Have Fun With Them
Go into the photos with the goal to have fun! Go into it remembering why you are getting these done in the first place. You want to make memories and remember this time in your life. To do that you need to step back and look at why you are having the photos done. If you can gain that perspective back you will be able to better enjoy your maternity photo experience.
Below are some of my favorites from our maternity session! Hope you enjoy them and my 5 secrets to gorgeous maternity photos.
Photographer: https://www.instagram.com/victoriaisabeltate/
Dress: https://www.indiefashionboutique.com/
Hair: https://www.drybarshops.com/
