Maternity Photoshoot FAQs Based on Our First-Hand Experience
When I’m in the mood, I don’t mind being in front of a camera. Sometimes, I can even pose confidently and not second guess my movements. My husband is the complete opposite. He’s the cutest goofball who gets completely nervous and stiff when a lens points his way. That’s why we thought for a while before deciding to do a maternity photoshoot.
If you’re wondering whether you should do one or not, you’re at the right place. Below are all the top questions we had with the answers based on our first-hand experience. Hopefully they’ll ease your mind because doing the photoshoot ended up being one of our best decisions ever!
When’s the best time to take maternity photos?
We decided to do our maternity photoshoot in the 3rd trimester between 30-33 weeks. The reason was that the bump would be prominent, and I would still be comfortable enough to walk around for over an hour. Of course, the size of your bump by week may be different than mine, so bear that in mind as you decide when you want to schedule yours.
How do we choose the right photographer?
I’m definitely the researcher in the marriage. I tend to spend a ton of time exhausting my options before making a decision and finding the right maternity photographer was no different. Service area was the first thing I looked at – since I didn’t want us traveling too far while pregnant. Second was the photographer’s style. We’re really into lifestyle shots where the approach is to capture sweet moments instead of staged shots. If you’re into the latter, that’s great too! Just make sure you look at the photographer’s portfolio and Instagram profile to see if their style matches yours.
The last two key factors were price and availability. We wanted to find a reasonably priced photographer who was available during the timeframe that we wanted. It also felt like we were racing against the clock to choose someone for November since photographers are typically pretty booked up for the rest of the year by then. So depending on when you’re due, you may need to make a quicker decision.
What’s a good maternity photographer fee?
Budgets are super subjective, but we started with the fee that my sister paid for her maternity photographer and then looked at averages of the nearby photographers we were interested in. She had her pics taken in NYC, so we figured the NJ market would be slightly lower or at least relative. It also depends on how long the session is, if you get an outfit change, how many locations, and if it’s part of a package that includes prints.
We decided to go basic with just digital files and an hour-long session. That’s because we prefer to mull over our photos and decide the medium/size of our prints, while the length of the session seemed appropriate for one location and no outfit changes. Our photographer’s fees were $550-$750 depending on which option you chose, but we found photographers with fees well over $1k.
Where should we choose as the location?
When you choose a location, it should be somewhere you’re comfortable with and showcases your personalities as a couple. For us, we love to go hiking and walking around gardens. So, it was a no brainer to do an outdoor session, despite November weather. Bear in mind that some locations may have associated fees for photoshoots, which a seasoned photographer would be able to inform you about.
We ended up asking our photographer for suggestions on gardens and parks that would offer a beautiful fall backdrop and scouted each of the locations before deciding on which we loved the most. Our final choice was Cross Estate Gardens in Bernardsville, NJ since it had multiple areas that would provide a variety of photo ops – flower garden, tree-lined paths, woods, meadows, and a wooden pergola.
Some couples prefer to do their photoshoot inside their homes to provide a personal touch, while others like to be in a studio with props – it’s really all up to you. 🙂
Do I need to get my hair and makeup professionally done?
How would you like to remember yourself during your pregnancy? Do you want to look more natural or glammed up? I debated getting my makeup professionally done, but decided to go a little more boho and do my own makeup. My sister on the other hand went to her typical makeup artist to get dolled up.
What should we wear to our maternity photoshoot?
Like hair and makeup, it really depends on what look you want to go for! Again my sister likes the glam look, so along with her professionally done makeup, she wore a long white off-the-shoulder gown. To match, her husband wore a blazer. For me, after trying on close to 30 dresses, I opted for a flowy tiered chiffon dress. Since my dress was more casual, my husband only wore a button down with khakis and black canvas shoes. The way we tied our outfits together was through the lavender color as the print on my dress had a touch of it, while his button down was a similar shade.
Two tried and true ways to get outfit inspiration is to simply search on Google or Pinterest, or ask your photographer. If you’ve already chosen your location, your photographer may even have suggestions to provide a nice contrast against the backdrop.
How do we look natural during our shoot?
I had one pregnant coworker who didn’t want to do a maternity photoshoot because she was afraid that her awkwardness would ruin the photos. Seriously, don’t worry about this. If you find a good, experienced photographer, they will guide you during the session to bring out your true self. Our photographer’s method was to get to know us through ongoing conversation and provide fun directions on how to pose. We felt comfortable around her and ended up with very natural looking photos. Trust your photographer and trust the process.
Hope these tips help you narrow down your choices and bring you closer to the maternity photos of your dreams. I’m sure they’re going to turn out beautiful!
xo Kris
