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Author: AnnaMyers
| Views: 166 | Words: 585 |
Published: Sat, 2 Aug 2008
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Pregnancy Portraits - Getting Professional Maternity Photography
Maternity Portraits have become very popular over the last ten years. The pregnancy of each child is looked on as a special event for the family that should be documented with professional photography - almost as significant as the wedding photographs in terms of the evolution of a family. For the professional photographer and client there are several key elements to consider when creating the maternity portraits.
The best timing for the maternity session is when the woman's stomach is nice and round - but not so far along in the pregnancy that the baby may come before the pictures are taken or when there is likely to be more swelling of the feet and hands. Thirty-two to thirty-six weeks is usually a good formula so that the belly is very curvy, but the woman is still feeling good and without much swelling in the extremities.
Another consideration is who will be in the photos? Obviously the pregnant woman will be in them, but who else should be in them? One approach is to include the family members that will be the most significant part of the baby's life - which usually includes both parents and any siblings. A different approach would be to do the project as a study of just the woman and her pregnancy - which is then sometimes given as a gift to her partner as a surprise.
The location of the pregnancy portraits is a big consideration. There is likely to be a good amount of skin showing (at least the belly), so given that where would the woman be the most comfortable to have the session? Some women are OK with being outdoors and showing skin, while others may prefer the privacy of an indoor location like a photography studio or their home.
Deciding the location of the shots will have an impact on the overall style of the photos, and this too should be examined. Is the desired style of the pregnancy portraits light and airy, classical, modern and edgey, a study in black & white, etc? Figuring out the style you want can be aided by looking at other maternity portraits that can be found easily online on photographers websites or other sites related to pregnancy.
After having figured out the location and the styles, figuring out what to wear should be a bit easier now. For maternity sessions, the choice of what to wear includes; wearing clothes with the belly showing, doing semi-nudes with clothing, bathing suits or lingerie, doing semi-nudes with fabrics and sheers, or full nude maternity photography.
After having decided to do the session, another thing to think about is where to put the resulting prints from the session. If they are family portraits that are clothed, they may be able to hang anywhere in the house. If they are more black&white nude pregnancy portraits it may be better to hang these in the bedroom. Another great choice is to consider a fine art maternity album for the images.
After having done the professional maternity session, adding an artistic newborn photography session would be an excellent idea. Framed body parts from the maternity session including close ups of hands and bellies can be combined into a modern wall collage with close-ups of baby feet, hands and face. Creating an album from the pregnancy portraits and newborn portraits is another wonderful way to celebrate the new life in your family.
Anna Myers is a contemporary, soulful San Francisco Bay Area Photographer who specializes in maternity photography.
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