There’s so much to do before baby arrives and one that is on top of many mommy-to-be’s list is maternity photos, yay! But just like anything that’s amazing, a little prep goes into making it that way. In this blog, we’re sharing the 5 components of an authentic and beautiful session including location, timing, outfits, and more! If this is your first time on our blog, welcome! We’re David and Meivys, a husband and wife photography team based in south Florida. We photograph modern, detail-oriented families and teens who want to be guided, love how they look and have fun! If you’re a fellow follower, thanks for your continued support!
A lot of you have requested that we share with you how we prepare our families, whether new or big families for their maternity session, soooo we decided to write this post to tell you the 5 components of an elegant, authentic, and super fun maternity session, Gentlemen, do not fear – this is for you too!
Number 1 – Time and Location! Our favorite location to shoot is outdoors in open spaces because of all the beautiful light! We also really like shooting in home sessions in the downtown areas… well we like shooting everywhere where we have great light and have fun! But to enjoy that beautiful light, we need to time the session just right… We will want to shoot either 2 hours before sunset or if you’re brave for the first two hours of sunrise. This will depend on the location, but we can discover the perfect location for your session when we have our maternity session planning meeting.
Number 2 on our list – Outfits!Love this part! Because #shopping! Ladies, you’ll want to bring 2 outfits, sometimes 3 depending on what we will be doing in the session. Your first outfits should be a long flowy, floor length dress – this is the formal outfit. Click here to go to our other post, 21 Perfect Dresses for your Session (even though it’s titled Engagement Session, many of these will work perfectly for mommies) Your second outfit can be a little bit more casual, but both should be neutral pastel tones, unless -dramatic pause- were going for a very signature look like a red gown in the middle of a big field! Gentlemen, this is your time to shine too, blazer and layers, always closed toed shoes and a watch. For your second outfit, well this one will depend on her and the general style of the session, but don’t worry we got you, we can talk all about that in our maternity session planning meeting!
Number 3 – Hair and Makeup and Grooming for the guys! Ladies, this is the perfect time for you to book your hair and makeup trial before the gender reveal or baby shower! You’ll definitely want to go pro for your maternity session so that not only can you look your very best, but also so you can see how the hair and makeup will photograph. Also, don’t forget to get a mani pedi, but leave skin treatments for wayyy before or after the session – we don’t want any surprises. Gentlemen, make sure you get a fresh cut and shave, if you have any facial hair trim that up and make sure it looks neat.
Number 4 – Details – its all about the details!!!!! We can’t stress this enough! We’re pretty detail obsessed and we love it when our families bring in personal touches to the session. For example – if you like to stay at home and bake cookies together – you’d bring your favorite cookie brand or ingredients and apron or if you love to go bike riding, bring your bikes and a basket full of flowers.
We’re all about capturing your love story authentically and we can help you style everything so that it’s perfect and just as you imagined.
Number 5 – we’re almost done! – Relax and Have fun! We know we just reviewed alot of info, but don’t worry we will guide you every step of the way! All of these things put together will ensure you have an awesome time PLUS capture images that are natural and reflective of your love story.
Number 6 is for big families – If this is not the first baby, then you’re probably a maternity session pro! If there are more than 2 (and a half lol) people being photographed, pay special attention to the colors of your outfits, you don’t want to be too match match, like say, everyone wearing a pink shirt… Rather you can pick a color palette like whites, pinks, and beiges and everyone can still look cohesive yet not the same – it also makes for a beautifully spread out color scheme. Also, if you have small children, make sure to pack a water bottle, toys, and flats!
If you want even more tips, make sure to check out our family session tips blog post: Click here for more.
XOXO, David + Meivys
M Suarez Photography
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