You're Pregger's, let's celebrate.
What an exciting time for you! You've got a bun in the oven and your life is about to be altered forever, in the most beautiful way possible.
Whether this is your first baby, or you're wrapping things up and getting that final member for the family band that you've always wanted, it's about to get all kinds of real. And it's time to celebrate, because you'll only have that gorgeous bump for a short amount of time.
So let's get that camera out and capture you in all of your glory.
What to expect (when you're expecting)
Maternity sessions are usually shot in the last 8 weeks of pregnancy. It can be by yourself or with your partner and if you have any other children they can join in too. I don't treat my maternity sessions very differently from a standard couple or family session. I don't make it all about the bump, so while we'll still get some bump centric images, I also like to focus a lot on the connection between you.
The session will generally start with a bit of banter, as we find the first spot. I'll give you some guidance on what to do, probably make some bad jokes, we'll laugh a bit and then we'll move on to the next spot. Rinse and repeat.
Pretty easy right?
The session will be around 45 minutes - maybe more if we are walking far, if there are siblings involved or we end up talking too much.
What to wear.
You can decide together if you want to be casual or more formal. You are welcome to have a change of clothes part way through if you want a bit of both.
Even if you have decided on casual, please avoid wearing the following: tops with big logos, strong bold patterned clothes, baseball caps, hoodies and jandals.
Long flowy dresses look awesome, as do fitted knit dresses (they really show off that bump). But don't feel like you need to go out and buys something specifically for this shoot - if you have an outfit that you love wearing, then feel free to wear it!
Colours:
I recommend versions of primary colours. Yellow (mustard), red (maroon, brick), and blue (navy, royal). A bit of colour can really make the difference in a shot, and make it pop. I know the general rule here in NZ is to wear a lot of black, but if you have a colour that you love to wear, please wear it! Please steer clear of fluorescents. Fluorescent colours tend to colour cast on faces, necks and hair.
It's a good idea to make sure that you and your partner are not wearing the same colour top. It will help define the bump and add contrast to the image.
Also, remember to iron your stuff first! Removing creases in clothing is not included in the editing process.
And just in case you are, it’s more than okay to feel nervous! Please know that I do not expect you to be models. My job is to direct you in a way that helps you relax, feel natural, and be your true comfortable selves in front of my lens. You do not need to practice poses, study Pinterest pins or let the nerves take over. We're going to try to have a bit of fun with this - even if you usually hate being in front of the camera!
I want you guys to know that I'm happy for this to be a collaboration. If you have any ideas while we're out there, hit me with them! We're in this together - we all want the end result to be great photos and a fun time, so if you are feeling inspired, please share your ideas.
Location, location, location
If you have location that is near and dear to your story, please don’t hesitate to tell me about it. I am true believer in telling your story in a way that is meaningful to you but also remember that the session is about you as a couple and not where you are. There are beautiful places all around us, so if you’d rather me choose the venue, I am happy to do so.
Some locations will really look best during the golden hour - an hour before sunset. Places that are usually really bright, like open fields, up in the hills, and beaches work well at that time. Darker places like forests, and hiking trails & water falls, as well as indoor locations, are better shot earlier in the day.
We'll choose the location first, and then work out what timing will work well with where we are shooting.
What happens after the session?
After the session, I'll go through the images and edit the best ones.
When I've finished editing your images (around 2 weeks) I'll send you a link to your gallery. It will contain all of the edited images for you to view. At this stage I invite you to chose which package you would like, via a pick and choose quote. Once we know how many images you would like to own, and payment has been completed you'll be able to download your chosen images.
You can then print your images with your chosen lab. You can also order high quality prints, and fine art products directly through your gallery.
Sharing is caring.
I'll double check with you first, but sometimes I like to share a couple of images or a blog of a session on my social media accounts. This is hugely important for my business as without images I don't have a product to market.
If you are sharing your images on social media I'd love a shout out too! Tag my business page or even just mention who took your awesome photos. ;) Word of mouth is how I get 90% of my business, and every little bit counts!
Don't be afraid to leave a review to tell everyone just how much you enjoyed your session and love your photos.
