Kimi - Maternity - Before

I had the great privilege of documenting Kimi's second pregnancy. This time we opted for a before and after set. We planned the shoot to include similar poses and wardrobe to her first maternity series. The poses will be duplicated after the baby is born. Once all the photos are done, a before & after set will be created. While we wait, here are some favorites from our "before" session.

When is the best time to take maternity photos?

::: If you're looking for the quick answer its 30-32 weeks :::

In my professional experience photographing pregnancies, the best time to plan your maternity photo session is when you are 30-32 weeks, which is  approximately 7 ½ months into your pregnancy. At this time, the baby's gender is typically known and can be utilized in choosing colors and props for your session. The size of your tummy increases the most in the third trimester, and for most women at 32 weeks, it is symmetrical and round. If you wait until your belly is larger, the baby tends to sit very low or rests on one side creating an asymmetrical appearance. You also don't want to wait too long to schedule your session in case of early delivery. By taking your photos earlier in you pregnancy your energy will last you through a longer photo shoot. My maternity sessions typically last between one and two hours with multiple wardrobe changes and lighting adjustments. 

Revisiting Maternity Favorites with Chenisse

I am looking forward to new photo sessions and opportunities to provide beautiful photos to new clients. One of my personal favorite subjects to photograph is maternity. Whether it is fine-art or a photo-journalistic style, capturing the moments in a woman's life as she is transforms into a mother is a pleasure and an honor to be made a part. I like to capture the emotional interaction between a woman and her unborn baby.

As an artist, I am a trained observer who gently directs classic poses which help her be more natural without feeling self-conscious or awkward. My goal is to create images that go beyond snapshots and would not feel out of place in a coffee-table book. For anyone who is seeking a photographer to document her pregnancy, please contact me through the link at the bottom of this post.

In the mean time, I am revisiting my work from a progression series of maternity photos with re-edits and new favorites. Every now and then I go back through sessions from years ago and I am drawn to different images than I had initially culled into my favorites. I continue to learn about and experiment with new editing techniques. In my revisits I find images that fit well into these new, varied techniques and am able to apply them. This brings to light new and expanded perspectives within my portfolio.

Below are many newly edited selections I have added to my portfolio. Enjoy!

Kimi's Maternity Progression at 30 Weeks

17 weeks through 30 weeks

I have been following Kimi's pregnancy since she was 17 weeks along, and still barely showing. We have had four progressive sessions, each of them matching wardrobe, poses, and lighting, so that I can edit a seamless sequence like the one shown above. Our first session took the longest of them all because it was when we were deciding which outfits would work with which backgrounds, and just how many variations of each we wanted to have. All of our following sessions have gone much smoother and flow from one setup into the next without much fumbling and wondering if we're doing the right thing

The consistency is good for matching session to session, but can become tedious when that's all you are photographing. The funnest part of our progression is when our repetitive poses are complete and we have a chance to try new ideas and experiment with poses, wardrobe and props. I like to collaborate with my subjects to come up with ideas that we both agree would work for their personalities, and of course are flattering to them.

Kimi has been great all around to have as a model for her pregnancy. She brought many of her own outfits to use, but also utilizes the props and wardrobe I have on hand. I like to have a variety of fabric, cute tops and props to cater to any of my maternity subjects. Many of these props are also the same I use for beauty and boudoir photography sessions as well.

You can find more composites and recent poses from our sessions below...

Maternity: Before & After for Nancy

Capturing a moment in someone's life is one of the best gifts you could ever give them.

Capturing two moments that span such a dramatic change as pregnancy is even better.

Nancy was 28 weeks into her pregnancy when we had our first of two sessions to document her pregnancy. She had two children previous to this pregnancy and knew exactly which week she wanted to be photographed. This proved to be the biggest benefit of our photo session, we were able to achieve dozens of poses with different wardrobe and background combinations. I could not have asked for a better model. She was full of energy and ideas, and willing to try poses I had never attempted before.

Although we spent most of our second session photographing the baby by herself, I wanted to get at least this one before & after pose of Nancy wrapped in purple, cradling her tummy, and then holding the baby. I was able to use the same background for each and with a little editing magic, combined the two images into a side by side composite.

I have included a few other images from the second set below: 

From Maternity to Mommy with Chenisse

Beginning our sessions when she was nine weeks along, this lovely young woman had a photo session at different stages during her pregnancy. We arranged to use the same wardrobe, backgrounds, and lighting to document her complete pregnancy. Since the birth of her daughter at the end of August, she now has a priceless set of images documenting a time in her life that has changed her from a young woman into a mother.

Capturing a Moment in Time with Maternity Photography for Nancy

How would you like to document your pregnancy with magazine quality images?

With careful attention to lighting and posing, you can have exactly that

I schedule two hours for a maternity session, allowing for different backgrounds, lighting, and wardrobe changes to achieve many different looks. In the image above, this lovely mom-to-be made use of a swing I have installed inside my studio. I set up the lights and changed the background, and all she had to do is swing. The shot is not posed, it is a moment of joy as she swung back and forth, truly enjoying herself

Track Your Pregnancy with a Maternity Photo Series

I am following this beautiful young woman through her pregnancy with a maternity progression series. We were able to start with her at 9 weeks, and we will have follow-up sessions monthly through her pregnancy. Documenting her pregnancy will give her a beautiful series of images that will remind her of this amazing time in her life, when everything is changing so fast, and its hard to remember how much you have grown.