When I became pregnant with my first child, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to visually record every single milestone of this beautiful journey. As a professional photographer who has been shooting weddings and portraits of other families, I have to admit, I am quite particular about how my images turn out!
Knowing full well that no lady wants to look frumpy in her maternity photos, here are some tips for you to achieve more beautiful pregnancy images. Of course, if you can hire a professional photographer to shoot your maternity pictures, that would be ideal!
1. Timing
If you’d like to keep a record of your baby bump growing, try to take the same shot with the same angle every month so that you can compare the size as your belly grows. Alternatively, if you are hiring a photographer for your maternity photos, the best timing to shoot would be around the seventh month as you are still energetic after your 2nd trimester. You can still choose to wait a little longer if you want to photograph a larger belly, but don’t leave it till the last minute! Once, I photographed a couple, who one hour later, ended up in the labour room! Talk about cutting it close!
2. Outfits
Choose outfits that accentuate the shape of your belly or exposes it. You can opt to wear a short tube top paired with a skirt, a body fitting dress, or a sexy shirt, unbuttoned at the bottom. I believe pregnant women are sexy, and so we should flaunt our beautiful belly!
3. Good Lighting
Keep it natural. Take photos next to windows or in areas that has lots of natural light. If there’s not much natural light in your home, your house porch will do the trick! The fluorescent or down lights in our homes usually cast shadows under our eyes and are not really flattering for photography. Also, you don’t want to have a sick-looking, yellow colour cast on your belly!
If you want to take photos in the park, try not to head outdoors when it’s too hot. The best timing would be early in the morning before 9am or in the evening after 5pm.
4. Props
Perhaps you might want to incorporate some props into your photo shoot, like letters that spell your baby’s name or cute little shoes. It’s a great way of personalising your photos!
5. Think Positively
Lastly, you should believe that you’re beautiful even when you’re pregnant, despite the swollen legs and probable weight gain. Before your photo shoot, treat yourself to nice bubble bath and get a make up artist to come and pamper you. If you feel beautiful, you’ll exude confidence through your images!
Have a great pregnancy and cherish every moment as it unfolds!
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Grace Tan is a wife, a mother and a professional photographer, who enjoys running after brides and grooms, and little children. Her work can be seen on Stories.my.
Image credit: Stories.my
