For those maternity photographers

Fstoplife

What are some tricks you use to get the mom really showing that soft side? I am doing my second maternity shoot on Saturday and just looking for some insight from the pros as to how to pose her and just really make her feel comforatble and beautiful. I know when you do couples you ask the guy to pretend he's whispering in her ear, any tips or tricks like that?

TIA!!

Gina

Photometric

The first thing I do is set the camera on the tripod and tell them I need to take 'readings' and 'measurements' (which I do sometimes) and to ignore the camera. This helps me get the lighting correctly AND it helps make them forget about the camera. Once the flashes go off a couple of times they get more used to it. This helps take the edge off.

J.G.McClain

Photometric makes a wonderful point, I would say this is especially if your going for any of the half naked focusing on the belly shots the might feel a little awkward to some woman.

Thinks I like to do with our expecting mommies, I know sometimes I can get a little ethereal with how I think about setting up shots.

1) Chin down, eyes closed, slight smile - Going for a "Thinking about your child" idea on this one.
2) Cloth wrap - I know its been done, but its still a killer shot, and you can do so much with it in post.
3) Laying on her back - This one you have to play with the angles, light and arm position but if you can line them up good things can come from it.
4) If the soon to come into this world has a waiting brother and sister, they can always be fun to work with, have them put there ear up to moms's belly and look up, as in struggling to lessening to a conversation only they can hear. (again, light is the determinative factor on this set up, as with most)


Other things that I like to do is put mom is a industrial, hard setting, after setting her up it allows her "mom" glow to soften her by comparison to her surroundings. At the same time there is the argument to put her in a soft, organic environment as well. SOOOO much of it has to do with her personality and where she will really allow you to capture her emotions with out having to force it out of her.

Maternity shoots are one of thous things that I feel strongly about, booking a wedding is good, they are fun to shoot, and its really why I love my job, and they pay the bills. Mommy bookings are special.