How to Create Magical and Whimsical Maternity Photos

Congratulations, you're pregnant! You've made a good choice by picking Becks Photography for your maternity photographer. You have taken a great first step in capturing your pregnancy but we still have some things to consider, and I'm about to give you some great tips on what your next steps are!

When to book your maternity photos?

After 5 years of being a photographer and photographing countless pregnant women, I've found that the sweet spot for maternity photos is 30-32 weeks. You are glowing and beautifully round and thankfully, your feet haven't started swelling up yet! It typically takes about 2 weeks for me to edit your maternity photos so please keep this in mind when booking. If you want/need to reschedule your photos after reading this, please reach out to me!

WHAT TO EXPECT

A maternity session with me is laid back and relaxed. Please feel free to bring a speaker to play music and enjoy this time together. I come prepared with many poses for your session and walk you though them by telling and showing you how to do them. If you have children, I will help guide you into posing with them but I encourage you not to push your children and to let them gently lead while you play and love on them. To put you at ease, you should know that your sessions aren't riding on time. If you've book a "full" session I schedule 45 minutes, if you've booked an "extended" session I schedule 60 minutes. These times are generous and I can typically be flexible, especially if you have children. Sometimes kids need a little bit of time to warm up and that's ok, I have time. Be ready to love on each other and play!

WHAT TO WEAR

We need to talk about what to wear to your maternity photos, because it is SO important! Believe it or not, the outfits that you choose for you maternity pictures have a huge impact on the mood and outcome of your photos. Choosing which outfits look best isn't easy but it's so important. If your dream is to create magical and whimsical family photos, consistent to the work you see on my website, follow these tips.

• Creams and beiges are timeless and photograph best
• If you like colors, wear pastels or muted tones
• Bold, bright, and neon colors do not photograph well, I highly suggest avoiding them
• Avoid patterns but incorporate textures
• Remove apple watches, along with everything in your pockets

When it's time to pick out an outfit, please take the time to read my full style guide(<--click the link). I now offer customized style inspiration to help you choose outfits that flatter you, photograph well, and complement who you are! Let’s elevate your look to create photos that reflect who you are while also creating a stunning visual story. If you are interested in this fill out the form that I sent in your welcome email.

If you have any questions at all, please reach out to me and I'd be more than happy to help you choose the most magical outfit!

WHERE TO GO

Second, you need to choose a location. Lucky for you, I've created a huge location guide for you to choose from. Each location on my guide creates a different but beautiful backdrop. You will want to not only choose a location that you love, but also one that suits your family. It's also important that you consider the season that your photos are in. Check out my season based location guides...

• spring location guide
• summer location guide
• fall location guide
• winter location guide

Please reach out to me if you have a vision and need help picking the right location to achieve your vision. Keep in mind that in you choose a nature setting, you will be in nature. There may be bugs, dirt, animals, goose poop, etc. We will also be taking photos standing on grass and gravel, which will make it difficult to walk in heals.

Location scouting is a huge part of my job. I have been to all of the locations on my guide multiple times and know all of the perfect spots with the most beautiful lighting! Occasionally I will receive requests to come to a clients yard or a park by their house that they love. Although this location may be beautiful, it may not be the best location for a photo shoot. As a professional photographer, it's important for me to spend time at a location during sunrise and sunset before having a paid session there. Lighting, background, distractions, and the direction of the sun all play a role when choosing the correct location for your session. I want to deliver to you dreamy and whimsical maternity photos that you can cherish forever. With all of that being said, in order for me to be the best photographer that I can be, please choose one of the locations on my guide for your session. I hope that you can understand that I have your best interest in mind, always.

Rochester local like me? Check out my Rochester Michigan location guide for the best spots right in your town!

MINDSET

I am a lifestyle photographer who loves to capture authentic moments and emotions. Arguably the most important tip I can give you is to be patient, and have a great attitude. We are here to celebrate the amazing season that you're in, pregnancy! I want you to cuddle up together: kiss, smile, hug, whisper your favorite things to each and share this special time together. When you are looking back at your maternity photos that we took together, do you want negative memories of being rushed or stressed or do you want joyful memories of playing, laughing, and cuddling up close with your loved ones?

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• go out on a date before your photos to really connect (check out this list of local weekly date night deals)
• remember that your session is all about having fun and connecting with each other
• have an open mind when it come to poses and prompts that I use
• don't be negative

Can we bring our children to our maternity session?

Absolutely, children are a blessing and they are more than welcome to come to your maternity photos. Let's talk about tips and other things to consider when bringing along your children to a photoshoot.

What can you do?

• consider bringing along a family member or friend to assist when we take photos without your children
• be patient with your children. Let them lead by having fun and playing with them

What can you prep your children for?

• talk to your children about meeting me
• prep them to listen well to my instructions
• try to avoid bribery and instead explain to them that photos are a fun experience (because they will be!)

props

Let's talk about props! In my experience, keeping props to a minimum will make your maternity photos more classy and timeless. However, there are a few props that I recommend if you'd like to add them. The best prop, an ultrasound strip. You can bring a whole strip or just one photo but please leave it out of a frame, if we decide to use it for your session, you will be holding it in the photo so we won't need a frame. Another cute prop idea is baby shoes, again, completely optional. Lastly, a bouquet of wildflowers. Of course, always optional, but wildflowers add a beautiful touch to any photoshoot in the spring or summer. If you decide to bring them, choose a bouquet that will match your outfits and surroundings. If you are hesitant on colors, white or pastel flowers look best. If you decide to bring a prop, we will only take a few photos with them because I want the focus to be on you!

DOGS

Occasionally I have a client that wants to include their dog(s) in maternity photos. If that is something you'd like to do, please let me know ahead of time because it will limit you in location options. Not all of the locations on my location guide allow dogs, and others are too crowded to bring dogs. As much as I personally adore dogs, I cannot properly capture your pregnancy if I have to focus on your dog or hold a leash while taking photos! Please bring a family member or friend along with you if you plan to bring your dog to our photoshoot. Thanks!

questionnaire

Now it's time for you to fill out your questionnaire! This is where I learn about you (and your family)! I prep myself for every maternity session that I have, and each time I prepare differently depending on your answers. It's so important that you are descriptive when answering the questions.

I cannot wait for our session together!

If you follow this guide, I can assure you that we are going to create truly magical and whimsical family photos!