Over the past five years of running this business, I’ve photographed a LOT of different things, and since I’ve started I’ve been able to figure out what I really love to photograph. I firmly believe that you cannot shoot your best work if you aren’t passionate about what you’re doing! Because of this, I’ve started to say “no” to a lot of types of sessions and events, because those people deserve someone who LOVES to shoot what they were looking for!
I discovered quickly that my passion is for couples. Weddings, anniversaries, engagements, or just because! However, since having Lily, something has shifted in my heart and I’ve started to find sincere joy in also photographing families and maternity sessions! Since experiencing those sessions myself, I know just how incredibly special they are to have and I love that I can bring that feeling to others now! I’ve been doing a lot of families this year and I love it, and I’m looking forward to adding more maternity sessions to my calendar as well!
A sweet friend of mine reached out and told me I should write a blog about what to wear for maternity photos because she wasn’t having much luck online, so here I am! I’m writing this blog mostly from personal experience, and then a little bit from a photographer’s standpoint!
- A lot of women opt for dresses for maternity photos because it can really flatter that baby bump and all those curves! I know that I chose a dress, because that’s what I felt the best in!
- I personally LOVE the way belts look when you’re pregnant! You put it right where the top of your bump starts and it accentuates your baby belly so so beautifully!
- When I was pregnant I was really self conscious about my body because people were always telling me how huge I was, so I really hated wearing stripes because I felt like they magnified how my body was changing in a negative way! The only one thing I would definitely tell anyone to avoid, pregnant or not, are those patterns with the REALLY TINY squares. I don’t know what they’re called, but they’re so small and close together that it actually creates a dizzying effect when you look at the photo!
- The most important thing when it comes to picking out what to wear for your maternity session is that YOU love how you look in it, and that you FEEL comfortable. There’s nothing worse than trying to have your photo taken but all you can think about is how uncomfortable you feel in what you’re wearing! So make sure it fits well and that you feel good in it!
- You definitely do not have to wear a dress! You can wear pants or jeans or a skirt or whatever you want! There’s no right or wrong thing to wear! I suggest that if you don’t wear a dress that you keep in mind where the bottom of your shirt falls! You’ll want it to cover the belly all the way under as well, or be long enough if it’s a flowy top to go to the top of your thighs. This comes back to comfort and not having to worry about your belly peeking out the bottom if you don’t want it to be! One of my favorite non-dress looks is a pair of jeans, with a form fitting top with a cardigan and a belt!
- Don’t be afraid to wear patterns. I know some people only suggest wearing solid colors, but I feel like you should go for whatever strikes your fancy! You probably wouldn’t want to have more than one pattern in an outfit though, because that can get busy and take away from the focus of the shoot: that sweet baby you’re growing in your belly!
Well, there you have it! Some of my thoughts on what to wear to a maternity session! If you’ve had your photos taken while pregnant before, do you have any tips to add to this? Leave them in the comments if you do!
Linda is a Maine-based photographer specializing in weddings and creating family legacies. You can see more of her work online at lindabarryphotography.com, on Instagram, or on Facebook. If you want to reach out directly: linda@lindabarryphotography.com. To sign up for the monthly newsletter full of encouragement and real life, click here!
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