The Art of Pregnancy Photography (2 page)

Creating a beautiful image is simple when you understand light. Creating this image required only a large window, some fabric, and directing the subjects into a natural pose. The couple was posed atop several backdrops and fabric placed on the floor. The light came from a large sliding glass door in the living room of their home. This image was captured on a Fuji FinePix S3 Pro digital camera with a Tamron SPAF Aspherical XR Di LD 28–75mm f/2.8 lens. The ISO was 400, and a shutter speed of
¹
/90 second and aperture of f/4.8 were selected. The image was slightly retouched in Photoshop and then enhanced with Nik’s Midnight filter.

Maternity sessions can result in exquisite images. Capturing the woman at this remarkable stage in her life sets this type of portrait photography apart from the rest. This is an opportunity for the portrait photographer to utilize all of their technical and artistic skills to create dramatic to luxurious images, depending on the client’s personality and preference. None of these sessions or images will ever be called “typical.”

It is a privilege for photographers to witness and capture tender moments like this. Having the right tools and knowledge makes all the difference. This couple was lying by their bedroom window in an area propped with fabrics. Placing them in the right light produced the form and depth seen in the portrait. The image was captured on a Fuji FinePix S3 Pro camera with a Tamron 28–74mm f/2.8 lens and settings of f/4.8 and 1/90 second at an ISO setting of 400. The image was converted to black & white with the Kubota Artistic Actions Vol. Two New B&W action, and the edges were darkened with Kubota’s Edge Burner action. (The actions are available at
www.KubotaImageTools.com
.)

Working with children can be rewarding when you understand what they respond to and don’t respond to. This active little boy was more willing to pose with the right directions. This window light image was captured with a Nikon D2x and Tamron 28–75mm f/2.8 lens. The exposure was captured at an ISO of 400, a shutter speed of 1/125, and an aperture of f/5.3. After the image was retouched in Photoshop, it was enhanced with Nik’s Midnight filter.

The time is finally right for maternity portraiture. Photographers can use Adobe Photoshop and a host of Photoshop-compatible plug-ins to retouch stretch marks and blemishes quickly and easily and achieve greater creative and artistic freedom. From slimming areas of a subject to the fantasy approach of placing the newborn baby in the image of the pregnant mother, to converting color images to black & white, anything is possible!

ABOUT THIS BOOK

The Art of Pregnancy Photography
was written for the intermediate to advanced photographer who wants to add pregnancy photography to his or her repertoire. While many “how-to” books teach the basic technical information required to conduct a photo session, this book explores maternity photography from a conceptual and artistic point of view. Readers are encouraged to think about the location of the session, what props and fabrics will best enhance the images, how to pose the subject and create an effective composition, how to create dimension and flatter the subject’s form with light, and how to apply creative effects to the portraits to take your artistry to the next level. The book also looks closely at the importance of developing your relationship with your subject. It is essential that photographers understand that helping the pregnant woman relax and feel beautiful is just as important to a successful shoot as setting up flattering lighting. Each chapter of the book will explore the elements that must be considered to conduct an extraordinary, artistic, and rewarding maternity portrait session.

1. PREPARING FOR THE SESSION

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

“Being photographed pregnant was
empowering. I felt gorgeous.
Absolutely gorgeous!”
—Rachel P.

C
onducting a pre-session consultation will allow you to develop a rapport with your client and make key decisions about how the portrait session will unfold. This is the time to select a location for the portrait session, set a date and time, discuss clothing and makeup options, and share a few success stories from your previous pregnancy sessions. This is the perfect time to assure your client that a maternity session can be more than a means to capturing a moment in time—it can also be an opportunity to create artful images that depict your client not as clumsy and large but graceful and beautiful. When a woman contacts you to book a session, offer to conduct the consultation in her home, as this may be more convenient—and more comfortable—for the client.

Simple lighting and sumptuous fabrics can be used to create heirloom images in the subjects’ home or in the studio.

LOCATION

Most photographers don’t put a great deal of thought into selecting a location for their client’s portrait session, but in pregnancy photography, choosing the location can be one of the most important decisions the photographer and client make.

Home vs. Studio
. Most portrait clients come to the studio to be photographed. However, for a maternity client, the best location for the session will likely be her home. In maternity portraiture, the subject’s comfort is more critical than it is with any other demographic. Pregnancy causes many changes in a woman’s body. Not only does the abdomen become enlarged, shifting the woman’s center of gravity to her middle, but she may also be coping with an aching back and knees from carrying the extra weight, difficulty breathing from the growing baby pushing on her chest cavity, and hip pain from the stretching of ligaments as her delivery date approaches.

Working in your subject’s home will save her the trouble of having to travel. She will also benefit from having more clothing choices at hand and the ability to change in the comfort of her own bedroom or bathroom.

There are many advantages for the photographer in conducting a session at the subject’s home as well. Window lighting is one of the best lighting scenarios for portraiture; the light is full, soft, and luminous—and chances are, your client’s home will offer a variety of effective window light options. Also, it may be difficult for a pregnant woman nearing the end of her third trimester to move around, and having a bed to photograph her on can offer relief for her aching back and hip joints. (Note that most master bedrooms have the largest bed in the home and a large window to work with.) As the subject relaxes and you dole out praise, you will see a look of calm and serenity come over her.

If you’re conducting the consultation in your client’s home, you’ll want to determine which rooms will provide the best window light opportunities, whether it’s okay to move the furniture, and any other issues that will impact the session. You can also sell your client on the above-mentioned benefits of conducting the session in her home.

On the other hand, there will be times when the studio is the best choice for the session. In some cases, the portraits are being created as a gift for the baby’s father, and the woman may have trouble scheduling a session when her significant other is not at home. The studio will also likely be the best choice for the session if the client desires high key or low key images.

Shooting from a higher perspective in the subjects’ bedroom allowed for the beautiful presentation shown in the final image.