Vanessa and Amaury were having their second child and we were privileged to photograph her bump photos! Arthur, their first son, gamely posed for us too.
Creative. That is all what I can say about Vanessa. When we came with all our equipment, she had all her props lined up – from the wooden clothes pin, the colorful posts-its, pink cotton candy, pink plush toys, purple balloons, purple pinwheels, paint, diaper cake, monogrammed pillows, colorful candies and marshmallows, feeding bottles, and even the dogs were all ready for the shoot. It was a fun shoot and I think you can pick an inspiration or two.
If you are planning for a maternity shoot for yourself or your wife, here are a few tips which can help you get the photos you like:
1. Get inspiration from the web. Pinterest is a good source of inspiration. Download or create a board of your favorite photos. Share these photos with your photographer. Honestly, I sometimes run out of ideas and when I communicate with my clients, I ask them for inspiration to get a feel of what kind of shoot they like and accordingly, I bring the equipments/lighting necessary and if I have available props, I bring them along.
2. Have the props on hand for the shoot. It will save time and we will be able to click more photos.
3. I always tell my clients that the first 10 minutes of the shoot is always the awkward phase where smiles and poses will be a bit stiff so nothing to worry about. We try to make our subjects feel comfortable in front of the camera by suggesting some poses and encouraging them with phrases like “That looks great!”, “That pose is perfect!”. (This tip is more for other photographers). For others who feel uncomfortable, play some music which will relax you and clear the air.
4. The best time to have the maternity shoot is during the last trimester. The seventh or eighth month is perfect. Doing it at home will also help you get the props on hand, change outfits easily and relax if you need to. If you have the nursery prepared, it will also be a good place to capture lifestyle photographs.
5. Here are random props which you can be pretty on the photos and you can use later on when the baby arrives: a cute onesie, small plush toys, ABC blocks (to spell GIRL, BOY, or baby’s nickname) or scrabble tiles, ribbons, post-its, baby board books (not to big so you don’t cover the tummy), the baby’s ultrasound photo, newborn shoes or socks, a small chalkboard, body paint (if you are game on painting something on the tummy). Balloons are good props too…pinwheels and small flower buds too.
6. What to wear: The best will be fitted tank tops so you can bare your tummy but for those who are a bit conservative, wear something that will take the shape of your bump. You can wear a cardigan or coat over it if you don’t want to show your shoulder or arms. Moms, if you intend to have closeup tummy photos and have a bit of blemishes there, you can apply some concealer or foundation and just wash it off after. Remember, you will be having a lot of photos of you holding your tummy so trim your nails or have a manicure done if you will be conscious about your fingernails. Wear bracelets or rings if you like your arms decorated.
7. Lastly, just enjoy the shoot. Do not be afraid to express yourself. Make it as fun as possible.
Writing all these makes me excited for my own baby bump shoot in two months! I might be using multi-colored balloons and have my nails painted with different colors for it. How about you? Plan yours and contact us if you would like us to shoot it!
MelRish Photos and Films are lifestyle photographers and videographers based in Dubai and we specialize weddings, maternity, newborn and family portraits. Contact us for Dubai maternity photography and we will be glad to conceptualize your photoshoot with you.
