According to the USA Swimming Foundation: 64% of Black kids do not If you’ve never had a maternity shoot before or it’s your first pregnancy in general then this next post is for you! I’ll be discussing 5 ways to prepare for a maternity shoot. We’ll go over everything from booking your session to what to bring on the day of the shoot.
Book During The 3rd Trimester- First things first, you need to find a photographer that does maternity shoots and book with them during your third trimester. Typically pregnant people like to book between 28 to 35 weeks. This is when your belly is the most noticeable but you’re (hopefully) not too uncomfortable. If you have an idea in mind that you want to shoot you’ll want to speak to your potential photographer to make sure they can make that idea into a reality for your photoshoot.
Find the Perfect Theme- After booking your photographer, if you don’t already have a theme in mind, you’ll want to speak with your photographer to come up with a theme. Pinterest and google images can offer you some good ideas. Your photographer might be able to show you past maternity shoots that they did to help you decide what you want. If you need any ideas I have another blog article that discusses some potential ideas for you to use here:
Book A Hair/Make-up Appointment– A lot of Pregnant people like to get their hair, make-up, and nails done. If that’s something you’re interested in you’ll want to book those appointments before your session. You want to make sure that you give enough time to your stylist and yourself to get to your photoshoot on time. A good rule of thumb is to get your nails done 1-2 days before the shoot, and hair and make-up done earlier in the day before the shoot. Usually about 3 hours or so. If you’re not interested in all the glitz and glam, just be sure to give yourself enough time to do your hair, make-up, and or nails.
Choose or Order an Outfit- Once you figure out a theme, you’ll want to make sure you pick out an outfit that matches. For example, if you’re doing a milk bath maternity shoot, you might want to consider a light dress or a bra and panty set that can get wet. Or if you’re doing a theme that involves flowers you may want to get a flower crown for your hair and a dress or another outfit that has flowers attached to it. The opportunities are endless. When it comes to getting an outfit, you can either find one in your closet, order online, or go shopping so that you know what to wear before the shoot.
Pack Your Props The Night Before- Finally, we are onto our last tip. If you already have any baby toys, clothes, decorations, or even a sonogram, this can be used during your photoshoot. Many parents to be like to include these items in their shoots as props. You’ll want to pick those items to bring with you the night before so you don’t forget. You might also want to pack other non prop items that come in handy such as lip gloss, lotion, a brush, etc.
Remember to eat and drink before your shoot to take the best photos possible. You don’t want to be hangry during the shoot or dehydrated. Good luck on your journey to parenthood! I hope this article was helpful for you. If you have any other tips, recommendations, or theme ideas, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom and share. I’ll see you next week!