Christopher Lin is an Orange County Wedding Photographer as well as a writer for their blog. He is an editor of a photography tutorials website called SLR Lounge, and also the creator of many photography products, for Undfind LLC.
I’m always nervous when trying a new type of photography for the first time. My first wedding might have been the most stressful day of my life. Before my first aerial shoot, I did hours of research, invested in thousands of dollars in new lenses, and might as well have shot video with the number of shots that I took. My first maternity shoot came after 2 years of wedding photography experience, and I was still nervous. How do I pose them? What are natural looking poses, flattering angles, and other important factors? I did my research and had some ideas going in; but once I began shooting, it felt like any other shoot. Here are a few tips that I’ve learned since then.
Put Slight Twists on Engagement Photography Poses
The end goal of your maternity shoot is to convey a feeling, to capture an emotion, or tell a story. This is no different than any other photography. In fact, many of the poses will be very similar to what you may have done with your wedding and engagement photography, with slight variations and a few restrictions. For example, you might need to cut out jumping shots or other fun and semi-risky shots that you might have done with an engaged couple. And you might have to avoid some unflattering angles or certain poses that make the mother-to-be uncomfortable. But at the same time, your intimate poses and your nice portraits will still work out great. You might add some slight variations, like having both pairs of hands on the mother-to-be’s stomach, but in general, you can’t really go wrong with capturing intimacy, with creating imagery that expresses the love between the husband and the wife. Here are a few examples.
Experiment with Creative Lighting
If you’re trying to differentiate your maternity photography, try using creative flash techniques. Most maternity photography you’ll see out there will consist of great natural lighting, often backlit subjects, and a focus on expressions and posing. While these are great shots and important shots to deliver, you can really create a unique product by using creative lighting such as the lighting in the image below.
In this image, we have two flashes, one behind the subject and one in the front. We’ve also strapped on neutral density filters so that we can stay at a lower aperture while still using flash.
Consider Other Advanced Techniques
The application of other advanced techniques can help you create a stunning finished product. For example, try using High Dynamic Range (HDR) shots in your maternity photography. The results can be pretty cool!
And of course the last time I have is to make sure you have a great time on your shoots!
