Preparing for your maternity portrait session can be just as stressful as a regular portrait session if you aren’t prepared well in advance. Here are a few tips and tricks to have an easy session just by being prepared.
Clothing choices:
My favorite selection for clothing is to be comfortable and wear something very simple. The location of your session determines the type of clothing you will be wearing. How adorable are jeans with a form fitting shirt and heels? That works best for an urban setting— not well for the beach. What about a flowing maternity gown? Perfect for the beach- not so much for the downtown hustle and bustle.
I suggest staying away from busy patterns, logos/brands and sayings. Also avoid a short dress as I often have you do poses on the ground if possible.
You can check out my pinterest boards to see some awesome colors and what to wear ideas.
I welcome clients to bring a change of clothes if they want- but usually we don’t have time to change or a private spot.
Get a manicure
Use the session as an excuse to pamper yourself. Your fingers will absolutely be seen in our portraits, so make sure all family members (including your partners) are nice an clean.
Hair and Makeup
Take advantage of the date of your portrait session and have a nice date night with your significant other following your session. I always suggest having your hair and makeup professionally done for your session (I have referrals if you need any!) and I promise you it’s worth the investment. You are investing a lot of time and money into your portraits—go big or go home. Adding just a set of lashes makes a huge difference!
Eat!
Make sure you and your family have eaten before your session— feel free to bring snacks for the kids to eat during the session. Bring some treats for your kids to use as reward during your session if needed. The worst is a hungry husband and kids waiting anxiously for the session to end to go eat dinner.
Relax!
Nothing is worse than not being able to relax during your session and enjoy the moment. Take a deep breath and just relax. You look beautiful. You aren’t as big as you feel you look. Your belly is beautiful and my job is to capture the moment. No technology distractions, no family arguing, no work to do— just enjoy your session and have fun! Who knows how many times you will get to do a maternity session in your life! Let me do all the work.
