what to do when your maternity photos are taken at home
Maybe you are too far along in your pregnancy to travel to a studio. Maybe you are just exhausted! Well, holding your maternity session in the place of your own home can work wonders for you. There are four major aspects that are going to determine whether this session is successful or not. Let's get to it!
Wardrobe:
If you have the right outfits ready, nothing can stand in your way. I'm a firm believer in untraditional portrait clothing. The big gowns can be beautiful, but there is also something intriguing about normal clothes with an edge to them. For this session we did business attire, denim jeans, a sheer cover-up, and a bathing suit for our pool piece! These outfits may be known as super "regular" but there is just enough edge happening in each of them, in order to create the wow factor. For example, for the business suit we went ahead and left it unbuttoned, while also popping out one of the shoulders. For the denim jeans we made sure to have only a tiny tube top, or nothing at all! Plus the beautiful bouquet of flowers. The sheer cover-up is truly a pretty article of clothing so it didn't take much but space, lighting and posing to make it pop. And the bathing suit piece is telling a story, so not much needs to be done there.
Space:
Even if you have the most dull home, (well sometimes less is more) your professional photographer should be able to look around and find all of the spots that have potential. Any large, empty wall space is always ideal. Windows and couches should always be considered, especially if there is a strong color coordination happening. You should ask ahead of time if your photographer is familiar with photoshop, that way they can eliminate any unwanted details in the space. And lastly, if there is a pool in the vicinity, though we didn't do it in this session, I strongly encourage you to hop in and get some gorgeous water shots!
Lighting and Posing:
It is crucial to make sure that your lighting complements every space. Some light will need to be slightly more soft, and other lighting will look nice if it is even more intense. For example, in the business image to the left, there were orange and blue hues. I could've eliminated all color, but I love color, so I made those hues a bit stronger. In the sheer cover-up piece, I took advantage of a red light that Mikayla had on her wall, and I allowed it to set the tone of a few images. Ideally, your photographer will avoid all WHITE artificial light, and will seek out the natural light from outside.
And finally, if your photographer has all the right poses lined up for you... you're golden!
Wardrobe:
If you have the right outfits ready, nothing can stand in your way. I'm a firm believer in untraditional portrait clothing. The big gowns can be beautiful, but there is also something intriguing about normal clothes with an edge to them. For this session we did business attire, denim jeans, a sheer cover-up, and a bathing suit for our pool piece! These outfits may be known as super "regular" but there is just enough edge happening in each of them, in order to create the wow factor. For example, for the business suit we went ahead and left it unbuttoned, while also popping out one of the shoulders. For the denim jeans we made sure to have only a tiny tube top, or nothing at all! Plus the beautiful bouquet of flowers. The sheer cover-up is truly a pretty article of clothing so it didn't take much but space, lighting and posing to make it pop. And the bathing suit piece is telling a story, so not much needs to be done there.
Space:
Even if you have the most dull home, (well sometimes less is more) your professional photographer should be able to look around and find all of the spots that have potential. Any large, empty wall space is always ideal. Windows and couches should always be considered, especially if there is a strong color coordination happening. You should ask ahead of time if your photographer is familiar with photoshop, that way they can eliminate any unwanted details in the space. And lastly, if there is a pool in the vicinity, though we didn't do it in this session, I strongly encourage you to hop in and get some gorgeous water shots!
Lighting and Posing:
It is crucial to make sure that your lighting complements every space. Some light will need to be slightly more soft, and other lighting will look nice if it is even more intense. For example, in the business image to the left, there were orange and blue hues. I could've eliminated all color, but I love color, so I made those hues a bit stronger. In the sheer cover-up piece, I took advantage of a red light that Mikayla had on her wall, and I allowed it to set the tone of a few images. Ideally, your photographer will avoid all WHITE artificial light, and will seek out the natural light from outside.
And finally, if your photographer has all the right poses lined up for you... you're golden!
with Mikayla Shiann
