Capture The Glow

Watching an expectant mother glow spreads hope and wonder about the miracle of life. Capturing this beauty is a different matter altogether. Unlike other branches of photography, maternity photography presents a peculiar set of challenges. A photographer who decides to pursue maternity photography needs to be sensitive and have the ability to make a person comfortable. Generally, women expecting babies are averse to getting photographed especially if it means showing off a swollen belly. A photographer deciding to get into maternity photography needs to be aware of such inhibitions and reluctance that marks pregnant women. Spending time with the expectant mother, understanding her inhibitions and giving her a level of comfort will make maternity photography easier than it is made out to be.

A photographer needs to decide in discussion with the mother-to-be whether the setting should be private, whether the lady wants to be alone or involve her partner in the frame. What level of intimacy is she alright with portraying onto the camera? Will she allow close-up shots of her pregnant condition or would she prefer having long-distance shots taken? Will she be comfortable with a full-frontal image or a profile do? These are just a few of the questions that a photographer wrestles with on deciding to get into maternity photography.

Most often than not, most expectant mothers prefer getting themselves photographed in a studio or the comforts of their own homes. Obviously, arranging maternity photography in a studio is easier since one already has the lights and other related equipment set up and ready to go. What this also means that photos will have sameness and may tend to get repetitive. This would also mean that it may be difficult to catch some unguarded moments of raw emotions and tenderness in the expectant mother or parents. It will of course be easier to get bump shots, and most maternity photography revolves around getting bump shots, whether hand-on-bump pose or the bump per se. A photographer will have to be very creative if trying for varied shots within a studio that doesn’t centre around the bump alone and is more varied.

Parents may even be comfortable with on location shots, so a photographer undertaking maternity photography should always explore this option. Parks or a riverside bench make for great settings if one is looking to get variety in maternity photography. Of course one has to be ready to deal with gawking strangers. Who would not want to bask in the beauty of an expectant mother and share the happiness? Maternity photography can be very rewarding if only some empathy and imagination is involved.