How to choose your maternity photographer
You are expecting, congratulations! You are living one of the most important times of your life, one that is worth documenting with a photography session. Here are a few tips to choose the best maternity photographer to document your pregnancy and your family’s history, by a professional maternity photographer.
Find a specialist
Would you hire a criminal lawyer to handle your tax questions? Probably not. The same applies to photography. Hiring a photographer with specific expertise in maternity and pregnancy photography will ensure you the best possible result. Maternity photographers know the best poses, lighting patterns, flattering angles for the pregnant female body. They can also advise on what to wear and understand that you might need to take a break (or several) during the session.
Style
There are as many styles as there are photographers. To find the best match,think about your own style and personality and how you want your images to look. Do you prefer classic, colorful, nude, artistic, moody, organic, romantic, or whimsical types of portraits? The best way to see a photographer’s style is to check their portfolio and visit their website.
Location
How do you envision your photos? Do you prefer the clean and elegant feel of a professional studio? Do you prefer documentary style in your home? Or outdoor portraits with a beach or a field as a background? Choosing a maternity photographer that works in your desired location is an essential selection criteria.
Availability
It is recommended to start looking for a photographer at the end of your first trimester. As a general rule of thumb, maternity portrait sessions are done between 28 and 36 weeks. Make sure that your photographer is available at that time to capture your baby bump, while it has its beautiful round shape and you are still comfortable posing.
Referral
When you are looking for a maternity photographer, ask your friends or Google for referrals and reviews. Were they happy with their experience and their final images? Referrals and reviews are an amazing way to know if the photographer has a good reputation and happy customers.
Pricing and artwork
Pricing depends on numerous factors: photographer’s experience, quality of the portfolio, services, location, customized or generic client experience, product offering, design services, to name a few.
Once you have found a photographer that you like, ask for their detailed pricing information. What packages do they offer? Do they have a session fee or all-inclusive packages? Do they sell digitals only or do they offer artwork?
Additional services
Additional services are another factor to consider when choosing your maternity photographer. Do they offer styling services, advice on what to wear, or have a selection of clothes available to their clients? Do they recommend or work with makeup artists? Is it included in their pricing? Do they have design services for wall art or albums?
Privacy
This is something that is often overlooked! Most photographers have a clause in their contract allowing them to use your images in any way they want. If privacy is important to you, you should book a photographer that agrees to keep your images private (be aware that many photographers charge an additional fee for privacy).
Long-term relationship
If you are planning on doing a newborn photography session when baby is born, it might be a factor when choosing your maternity photographer. Do they also photograph newborns and babies? Do you like their style?
Our Provence maternity studio specializes in pure and classic pregnancy images, from timeless portraits to elegant nude and silhouettes. The studio is located in Aix-en-Provence and offers a fully customized experience unique to each client. Design services, museum-quality artwork, privacy and hair and makeup services are some of the additional services available to our clients. We recommend contacting us as soon as possible to ensure availability.
Believe it (or not!), the gorgeous mom in the images illustrating this blog post is pregnant with her third baby! You might recognize her as she commissioned me a few years ago for the newborn session of her second baby boy. On top of being a soon to be mom of three, Christy is a blogger at Thisisrealmom and manages an amazing Facebook group Naptime deals with the very best baby deals (you should join it!).
