Ocean County NJ Maternity Photographer – Tips on Tuesday

 

Maternity photography has become very popular over the last few years. It is such an amazing and unique time and a couple’s life. It is so much more than just another set of photos to have or use as your face book profile photo. Maternity photos are about showing the excitement, anticipation, and the love you have for the child that is about to change your life for the better. They are about documenting the changes in a woman’s body and celebrating what will soon be.

Before I go into tips for your maternity session, I want to take a moment and talk about 2 other sides of maternity photos that don’t get much attention. The first is single mothers. I have worked with several single mothers in the past, and the same concern is always brought up. Things like “Is it weird that it is just me?”. Or “Can we still do photos with only one person?”. HECK YES is my answer. Simply because a woman is going through the experience of childbirth and pregnancy with her friends and family by her side (sans the child’s father) does not mean that she should lose out on this beautiful experience. This is about you being strong, showing love, and sharing the joy that is growing in your tummy!

The second is about expecting adopting parents. A child can be grown in the heart, and not the stomach. I strongly feel that families in the process of adoption should get to document their love, excitement, and anticipation the same way as everyone else. Some couples are not given the opportunity to have children on their own. There is no reason that they should not experience everything other parents do. Adoptive parents, be it a husband and wife or same sex couple, go through the same series of emotions: worry, fear, happiness, confusion, joy and so on with a whole different layer of complexity layered on top of it. I am happy to say that I am offering “Waiting For You” sessions. They are a creative take on maternity sessions. All parents deserve to ability to document their love for what will soon be.

Here are my top five tips on maternity portraits.

For pregnant women, I usually suggest you have photos done at about the 7 month mark. By that point you have a great belly but are still able to be comfortable. Well, kind of comfortable! For adoptive parents, each case is different. You may want to them early in the process, once you have been matched with a birth mother, or when the timing just “feels” right.

Dress comfortably and pick a few outfit changes. You don’t have to coordinate with pink or blues depending on the sex of the baby. You should feel confident and beautiful. Pick something that will give you the ability to highlight your belly. Bring options to change into. A simple google search lead me to these ideas:

Pick a location with a few key things: access to bathroom (we all know you ladies pee a lot and can’t change in the car too easily) a few different spots to sit (getting up and down off the ground for photos isn’t easy at this point) and beautiful, soft natural light. Pregnancy is a beautiful, natural thing; your photos should reflect that. Avoid direct sunlight; a place with some shade is best. Your photographer can help you with this.

Props. Think long and hard about what props you want! Consult your photographer about the over all feel you want. (ps- if you need some ideas just wait and see what LFP has to offer this spring and summer!) Think outside the box. Bring things that were part of your childhood, custom made name signs, baby shoes, military ID tags, I can go on and on. But if I go on and on, I will ruin some of the surprise I have in store for my clients! Walk around your home, or better yet your grandparent’s home, and find ways to incorporate things from your family’s history.

This last one is a sensitive topic, but I am going to talk about it anyway. Weight. Yup, I said it. I am no skinny minny myself, so I understand the concerns and self conscious issues women have. I can’t tell you the number of emails I get saying women want maternity photos that don’t make them look “fat”. I want to take the time to say this: you are beautiful. You are growing a person inside of you. Be joyous. Be happy. Be excited. Feel love. Feel strength. Feel empowered. It is a fact, we all know it, women who are pregnant gain weight. Please take some time to breathe and enjoy the experience of having your photos done. You are who you are; your shape is your shape. Being relaxed and accepting will make your photos come across ten times more beautiful. There is no photo shop for self confidence. I know that it’s easier said then done. I get it. But 25 years from now, when you look back at your maternity photos the night before your son’s wedding, I promise you, the joy on your face and the love in your belly will be the only thing you care about.

Here is just a quick LFP photo of my dear friend Aimee, how cute is she?!