maternity pre shoot guide

Firstly, thank you for booking your maternity photo shoot with me! This is a really special time for you and it's lovely to capture the stage you are at, with the anticipation, expectation and excitement just palpable!

These shoots are very relaxed and we are there to capture these precious moments before baby arrives.

what to expect from this guide?

This guide should give you all the information you need to prepare for the photo shoot, what happens during and after the session - and should hopefully answer any questions you may have, but do feel free to contact me if there is anything you're not sure of!

The rule of thumb is the magic three colours, if all of the party can wear one or two out of three colours then it makes the images easy on the eye when there is some coordination. To really emphasise bump please don't wear thick knit jumpers, but light fabric which show off the bump are best.

what to wear

Spring/Summer sessions when the colours around are generally bright/lime green, go for colours such as blues and pinks, plus a neutral tone such as grey, white or cream. See the following style chart which should give you some ideas.

which colours to go for?

Autumn/Winter - As the summer fades and the natural landscape colours progress to shades of brown, opt for 2 or 3 of the vibrant colours of mustard yellow, forest green, maroon purple, navy blue, and grey. The deep tones on the outer part of the colour wheel really work in autumn.

Think about the colour schemes in your home - you want to make sure your clothes go with the theme of the room where the picture will be hanging.

Zara and H&M offer a great range of clothing. Try to avoid very patterned outfits (ideally no stripes, spots or large flowers etc), as these can distract the eye.

Accessories can be a great way to add some colour to a picture or to just give some of the images a different look - think about a scarf, tie or a big floppy hat! Do let me know when we meet if you have brought anything with you so that I can be sure to incorporate these into the gallery.

Please wear flat or low heel shoes - we will always do the photo shoots in easy to access locations, but for safety I would always prefer my mums-to-be to be in comfortable footwear.

recommendations

Once you've booked your session with me, start to think about what you are going to wear as soon as possible, as the last thing you would want is trying to find things to wear just before the session - stressful! This photo will bring back memories and you want the memories to be happy, relaxed ones!

Finally, think 'classic' - no doubt these images will hang on your wall or be presented proudly on your mantle piece for a long time, so try to keep away from clothing that may be deemed as a fad/trend and stick to more classic pieces, and clothing that you feel comfortable in!

If you're stuck for ideas Pinterest can be a great help, along with large clothing outlets which generally match outfits online or in-store. If you're unsure about anything then don't panic, just give me a call and we can chat your ideas through.

Please come in the clothes you wish to wear for session as there are usually no facilities to change in. It's also worth checking nail varnish, as chipped nails (especially when painted in bright colours) DO show up in the pictures!