Pregnancy is so many things. It’s emotional, joyful, and nerve-wracking, it’s anticipation and expectation, and, most of all, it’s miraculous. To capture all of that in an image is not easy. Our clients hire us to capture this amazing time in their lives, and when we can showcase not just how they looked, but how they felt, that’s pretty special.
So, how do you make your maternity photos as magical as pregnancy itself? Let’s find out! We asked eight Click Pros to walk us through the making of their maternity images.
Winnie Bruce: “I like feathering my light…”
“Lifestyle maternity photos are a great option, especially for a midday session. I always like feathering my light as much as I can. Here that was easy, since the window is to the left of the bed. The decoration of this home was very neutral, which made it easy for me to get good white balance using kelvin. I metered for her skin, and overexposed a little to get good skin tones.
For all my lifestyle photos, I use a 35mm lens. In RAW editing, I click on “enable profile corrections” to get rid of the distortion around the corners.”
— Winnie Bruce
Julie Audoux: “I get the couple to connect…”
“I love getting a variety of images. I always ask the client to bring a couple of outfits and some accessories. I try to get detail shots and wide shots from various angles, and I get the couple to connect as much as possible.
These images were shot with my Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 at ISO 100, starting at a shutter speed of 1/800 for the first photos, and bringing it down to 1/160 as the sun went down. I wanted to keep the details in the beautiful sky, so I underexposed a bit and brought up the shadows in post.”
– Julie Audoux
Kristin Dokoza: “I love to take creative shots…”
“I love to take creative shots including the environment and what the light felt like during sessions. Here, I loved the bare branches and lines of the trees, and wanted to include them for texture and framing. The light was strong as I asked the couple to walk away from me. I included their long shadows in the frame by shooting at a lower angle and moving side to side, letting them block the light as they moved.
These images were shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and 35mm f/1.4L lens at f/1.8.”
– Kristin Dokoza
Chanel French: “I use the environment…”
“This image was shot with my Canon EOS 6D and a Canon 35mm lens to allow more of the environment into the frame.
I saw my client’s gorgeous king-size bed and the beautiful natural light coming from the one large window in their bedroom and instantly knew I wanted to use that space as a backdrop. This was easily one of my favorite images from their gallery.”
– Chanel French
Laura Barr: “I allow soft light to filter in.”
“It was an unseasonably warm January day, so we met in the midafternoon at my clients’ house to take some indoor images before heading to the beach. The bed was perfectly situated across from two windows with curtains, allowing beautiful soft light to filter in.
I used my Canon EOS 5D Mark III and my Sigma 35mm Art lens for most of the session. My camera settings were f/1.4, ISO 800, 1/200.”
– Laura Barr
Tarah Beaven: “I love backlight and sun flare…”
“I love backlight and sun flare, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad. To avoid excessive haze, I shot with the sun behind and to the side of the mom. I still had backlight filtering around her, but it cut down on the amount light going into my lens. I moved in close to get a shot of the sun flare across her face and underexposed to preserve details in her hair and the mountain range.
These were taken with a Canon EOS 5D and 85mm lens at ISO 160, f/3.2, 1/640.”
– Tarah Beaven
Jenny Rosenbring: “I make the most of the weather…”
“We would have loved some sunlight for this session, but instead we got overcast skies and made the most of it. I had my client turn her face up to the sky to get more light on her face, and it also made her look more relaxed. It was absolutely freezing, but this pretty mama really worked it!
My settings for these images were ISO 200, 1/400, f/3.5.”
– Jenny Rosenbring
Olga Levien: “I love the glowing look…”
“Maternity photos are exciting and meaningful. They are a symbol of expecting a little miracle and starting a new life. I love the glowing look on mum-to-be’s face and extra attention and care from the future dad. It’s such a great moment and memory for them to have for years to come.
The first image was taken with a Nikon D850 and Sigma 35mm lens at ISO 800, f/1.6, 1/200. The second image was taken using a Nikon D750 and Nikon 24-70mm lens at ISO 1250, f/2.8, 1/2000.”
– Olga Levien
We loved going behind the scenes for these magical maternity photos! Tell us your favorite maternity photography tip or secret in the comments. And feel free to Pin from this page to your inspiration boards.
You can also find these Click Pros and more of their beautiful maternity photography on Instagram. @Winniebrucephoto, @julieaudouxphotographie, @kdokoza, @chanelgphoto, @laurabarrphoto, @tarahphotography, @jennys_foto, @olgalevien. And don’t forget @click.magazine too!
Feature photo at top of post is by Julie Audoux
Bellies and babies! Check out these great stories:
Celebrate the miracle of pregnancy through unique maternity photography
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7 maternity portrait tips that will change your game
The fresh 48: Everything you need to know about hospital newborn photography
How to create a full newborn gallery with just two poses
A beginner’s guide to newborn posing & studio lighting
5 Poses & a baby: Behind the scenes of a newborn session
I’m loving all these tips and photos too!
Loving all of these tips! It’s an honor to be included!
Beautiful images shared, thank you!