Being expecting during lockdown, no clarity yet on when is it going to end, to documentyour growing baby bump, you may have started planning to take maternity photosat home.
Excited for the arrival of your first baby, have written down ideas, chosen outfits and venues and are ready to head out to beautifully document your growing baby bumps or maybe expecting your 2nd or 3rd, not having had maternity photos for the previous ones, so have been seriously on board not to miss it this time along with capturing all the family excitements, lots of hugging and kissing baby belly!
It has been so sad having to reschedule and in some cases cancel our maternity photography experiences in the last month and still no clarity for the ones approaching, including a lovely friend of mine who recently gave birth! I know how time matters so as documenting your beautiful body in this stage!
So here you are, my 7 quick tips to remember if you fancy being photographed with your other half at home. I hope you find them helpful capturing these beautiful days of your life. Let me know how the photography went and I would be happy to help you with editing too.
1.Light
Look around to find where and at what time you have the best light in your selected corners of your house. Usually by the window is the best, here are some ideas:
Let the light lit you, while you are sitting on a sofa, a little chair or simply looking outside.
If you use a camera for this try to let the camera read your window light, to have your face/body/bump properly exposed as well as to have more details of what is behind the window.
Obviously there will be parts of the body a bit darker. Don’t worry, the point is to have nice light on your bump and face looking at your baby growing fast.
Tip : Make sure you can feel light in your face or part of your face and your body. Also make sure those nicely lit parts are in the frame!
Sometimes it looks nicer if you look a bit further than your bump! like at your knees! to avoid double chin as well as to have your profile visible in the shot!
Want to be more creative?
Go for Silhouette photos!
For this option, you need to put your camera on manual and let the light meter
to read the light behind the window.
Tip: To capture a darker Silhouette shot, it is always best to choose a time you have the most light coming through the window. The more the better! to have a huge difference in lighting on you and the window light. Therefore by reading the window light, the subject is overly under exposed/dark.
2. Angle
The quick tip is always make sure camera is at the eye level or a slightly above the eye level of your subject. To try different new ideas, you can always go for higher than her eye level but always watch out for the face features to be in you frame.
Going much closer to your subject and taking a photo of her from above the ear, while she is looking down at her bump, with her profile in your shot, would make a beautiful photograph.
Tip: Perspective rule! Anything that is closest to the camera looks bigger than usual, and the closer you are the bigger it will become. So Looking up at your subject makes whatever part of the body closer to the camera look bigger than usual so better to avoid having the camera at a lower place than mamma’s eye level, or looking up at her! Otherwise the bump looks bigger than it is therefore it may not be mummy’s favourite shot!
3. Background
To bring the focus to the subject, expressions and connections, it is always best to select a less distracting background, an empty bright wall which has a nice light on it, or a beautiful and not very busy landscape. A light coloured curtain would do a nice job to diffuse the light and make a dreamy background too.
4. Close-up photos
Don’t forget those details, from the shape of the bump from side to your partner or older kids hugging and kissing your bump! Tiny fingers on your bump simple shows how in love are the big kids with their little brother\sister.
One advantage of this situation and having to take maternity photos at home is that you can try again and again! once idea at a time.
Tip: Putting hands on bump will accentuate the shape better, specially when you have a dress on.
Which hand on top and which one underneath belly? Although there is no certain rule and the look may vary due to the camera angle, putting the hand that is closer to the camera underneath your belly, the bump would show off better.
5. Baby outfits
Those tiny little outfits you have already prepared for your baby, will look so exciting in your photos. They will also mark a beautiful memory as how impatiently prepared you are welcoming your new addition.
6. Connection
These photos are all about connections. Between you and your bump, or between your other half, you and your bump.. With big brother/sister and your bump… so keep the connections by touching, kissing and hugging!
Tip: Remove any distraction, either in the background or any accessories, specially those watches or thick bracelets.
They tent to take the eye’s attention from the connection and emotions to themselves!
Keep the rings 😀
Tip: Watch out your hands, fingers and more specially where the light is.
Hug your bump in lots of different ways!
and try different sides!
Outfit Tip:
Make sure there is contrast between your outfit and background so your will standout better.
( Not having a dark outfit against a dark background, the same for bright or patterned ones )
It is always best to avoid pattens in your outfit since there colors and shapes tend to grab eye’s attention.
7. Emotions
Think about why are you taking photos at this stage? what feelings do you want to remember? and why?
Maternity photography is all about capturing the emotions at the very beginning of a life-changing stage of life. So while in front of the camera, remember those feelings, remember the first moves, kicks.. talk to your partner about all those feelings you’re both going through.. It will show in your photos, plus looking back at them you’ll always remember them.
I hope all of these little tips have given you new ideas to take some maternity photos at home and beautifully document this unique stage of your life.
And as always please let me know if you have any question about your photos and how to make them look better.
Or if you like to talk about having a newborn photography experience, I would love to talk to all we can create for your little new addition.
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