How to Take Maternity Photos at Home: 8 Essential Tips
Your pregnancy will happen in the blink of an eye compared to the rest of your life. You’ll want pictures to remember what it was like and to show off your baby bump! But what happens if you can’t swing a professional photographer?
Whether time or money is an issue, you can always take the pictures yourself. You don’t need to be a model or celebrity to be the star of a photoshoot. As an expectant mother, you’re glowing, and you deserve the chance to go all out on a special maternity shoot.
Read this guide to taking influencer-level maternity photos and use your camera confidently.
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The Ultimate Guide to Taking Influencer-Level Maternity Photos
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase from one of the links I will make a small commission at no charge to you. Blunders in Babyland does not diagnose, treat, or give out any professional advice for any medical conditions.
1. Scout Your Favorite Locations
Location can make or break pictures. Posing for photos in a park covered in litter won’t look as magical as a clean backyard.
Consider your favorite spots around your hometown and check them out in person. You might try places like downtown areas, greenhouses, and nature trails with a photographer’s eye and narrow down shoot locations based on what you want in the background of your pictures.
2. Browse Maternity Photos
Get inspired by browsing maternity photos on social media apps. Note what you like about each picture you can find through hashtags or profiles and list what you want to replicate.
You might fall in love with the aesthetic of Isabel Rock’s fall maternity photos and recreate them with seasonal fabrics like lace and plaid against a backdrop of fall leaves. You could also snap a classy series of black and white pictures like Emmy Rossum’s portraits that only require a white backdrop. It depends on your style preferences or which images catch your eye.
3. Pick a Theme
Influencers always have a theme for their maternity photos. They might post a series of pictures that feature a fireplace in the background or match their outfits to the bandanas on their dogs.
While you’re taking notes on what you like about other people’s maternity pictures, note any recurring themes that feel like the right fit for your personality. They’ll make your photos more cohesive and professional.
4. Overcome Camera Shyness
You may get a bit camera shy during family photoshoots, so the idea of remembering poses for maternity photos might seem equally intimidating. You’ll feel much more comfortable in front of the camera by doing natural poses with loved ones wherever you want to set up your shoot. The result will be candid pictures you’ll treasure forever, without any additional planning stress.
Set yourself up for success by securing your camera or phone on a tripod. The built-in timer will blink a light as it counts down so you know which unplanned moments are part of your photo series.
And remember: don’t compare your body to the influencers. While you might be looking to them for inspiration, remind yourself that your body is unique, and you don’t need to look like a model to create a meaningful and beautiful maternity shoot.
5. Decide on Poses
If you’re worried about taking identical candid photos, prepare for your shoot with a list of optional poses. Subtle changes transform anyone in any type of picture, so think about poses like:
- Looking straight at the camera
- Looking away from the camera (toward the sky, ground, or distance)
- Taking a closeup of your baby bump from the side
- Glancing at your bump
- Arranging your hands around your bump
Whether you’ll take your photos with a partner or other loved ones, making a checklist of poses and working through them during your shoot will make the experience much more manageable.
6. Adjust Your Lighting
When influencers talk about how they take pictures, they always emphasize the importance of lighting. Lights that are too dull or bright will ruin photos from even the best photographers. Adjust your lighting as needed by planning for it before your shoot.
Schedule your pictures for the two golden hours right after the sun rises or before it sets. If you’ll use your phone, invest in a phone case with built-in lighting. Even rearranging the floor lamps around your home will give you a natural glow that works with your backdrop.
7. Pick Your Outfits
You never know which pictures will look the best, so plan a couple of outfit changes for your maternity shoot. Your choices could even match your partner’s, like how Zoë Sugg matched her partner’s flannel by wearing a flannel button-down over a bump-hugging white dress.
The different looks will give you a few options to choose from after your shoot, just in case some clothes didn’t look as great as you pictured them due to lighting or other factors.
8. Play With Editing Apps
Professional photographers always play around with different aspects of their photos. Apps can do the same thing for anyone who doesn’t have the time or budget for software like Adobe Lightroom.
Compare your options by downloading popular editing apps and trying them out on the pictures already on your phone, tablet, or computer. Adjusting the photo’s exposure, contrast, or brightness could make a significant difference in how much you love it. Give yourself time to slide the settings around and ensure each photo has the same finished settings before posting anything.
And try to fight the urge to blur out stretch marks or curves. Your body is giving life to your baby, so be sure to honor it rather than hide it.
Enjoy Taking Influencer-Level Maternity Photos
Now that you’ve read the ultimate guide to taking influencer-level maternity photos, have fun planning your shoot! You might feel nervous about putting yourself on display, especially if you’re struggling with your body image.
You don’t even need to post the photos online if you don’t want to! They can simply be a memento to look back on later as you watch your baby grow.
Using a tripod, establishing your lighting, and downloading picture-editing apps are all the tools you need to post maternity pictures worthy of influencer status.
