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Most moms would love to have some professional photos as a keepsake of their growing belly towards the end of their pregnancy. Sometimes time does not allow for this, and neither does the budget! When you’re spending so much money on all of the necessities for your soon-to-arrive baby, maternity photos aren’t always at the top of your required items.
We decided to take an afternoon to try taking our own maternity photos and I have to say they turned out pretty well. Of course, I had a beautiful subject to work with so that made my job extremely easy. 🙂
as a wedding gift, and we recently purchased a Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens with Auto Focus.
If you have a DSLR camera and you’re using the standard 18-55mm lens kit that came with it, look into buying a prime lens like the 35mm. It takes outstanding pictures that are clear, crisp, and sharp. It also has a lower Aperture which gives you a great Bokeh effect (soft focus due to a shallow depth of field), which is perfect for portrait photography.
If you’re not experienced with a DSLR there are tons of tutorials out there and guides on the internet that will help you along. I found that YouTube was a great source to learn all of the tips and tricks.
If you do not own a DSLR, that is fine too. You can use your standard digital camera, iPad or iPhone camera and use photo apps like Snapseed, Adobe PhotoShop or Elements to create similar results. The Coffee Shop Blog is a great resource for Adobe settings.
There are a few great standard poses that we used for the shoot. If you need some ideas to go by, Pinterest is a great place to start. Also, here are some tips for camera settings and shooting environment.
- Pick a really bright room with a large window and light walls. Lighting is very important. If you don’t have a room that is lit well enough, consider purchasing one of these inexpensive Neewer Studio Daylight Umbrella Light Kits
- Use lots of blankets, pillows and throws in the background, but all should be similar colors.
- Wear a light shirt with some texture to show your curves, but stay away from patterns.
- Do not use zoom on your camera, try moving closer to the subject instead.
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