MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
Porthcawl, Bridgend, Port Talbot, Margam, Neath, Swansea, Cardiff,
MATERNITY SESSION
PREPARATION WELCOME GUIDE
Congratulations on your Pregnancy
A perfect, new addition to your family is on its way, and I could not be happier for you! No matter if it's your first pregnancy, or you have a little team already, we should celebrate all the same.
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Even though your precious new baby is not here yet, their journey has already started and we are here to capture the very first chapter of your legacy.
I created this guide to give you a glimpse into what to expect from your maternity photoshoot, and what will happen on the day and make you excited about the session ahead!
Welcome to
Adele Morris Photography,
I'm Adele, the photographer behind the lens of Adele Morris Photography.
Whether it's a referral from a good friend, or you found your way from google to my webiste, Facebook, or Instagram that got you to book with me, I am so, so happy you made this decision to join the Adele Morris Photography family.
I feel honoured to be a small part of your story and hope I get to photograph your dinky one's journey for years to come.
... a bit about me and the studio
Your pregnancy is like no other, and this is why we will celebrate your maternity journey and the incredible changes that are happening. The studio is the perfect space to allow you to feel empowered by your pregnancy body and allow us to capture your inner beauty.
The studio has been created for you, and your family’s journey into parenthood with your new baby and beyond. A safe space, for you to feel relaxed and take comfort in knowing we are invested in capturing those moments of unconditional love during pregnancy. You are our priority from the moment you first contact us, to when you leave the studio with the beautiful memories we have captured for you.
Your pregnancy will be a whirlwind of emotions: from love, through overwhelm, complete exhaustion and gratitude. You have a lot on, whilst trying to enjoy and absorb each and every moment and getting your life and home ready for your baby's arrival.
This is why I created this guide, so that all the prep information is in one place, together with some tips and tricks for a great, stress-free and fun photoshoot!
foreword
Maternity photography is a relatively new concept in commercial studios. Looking back at pregnancy depicted in art, we would be surprised to realise that it’s not a subject covered by many mainstream artists either.
In 1963, French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu conducted a research amongst 693 French subjects and the result was clear: the great majority of people believed that a photo of a pregnant woman could not, by definition, be beautiful.
In traditional cultures, fertility was celebrated by depicting women of voluptuous shapes, exaggerated hips and breasts, but it was rarely focused on the actual process of pregnancy itself.
You are the warriors, the makers, the fire that makes the world go around. You lead and are the example for your children of what a woman is and what she deserves. You are not here to be told what to do. You are not here to ask for permission.
The future is growing under your heart. We are here to capture your journey and empower you, whilst you are creating the next generation.
What to expect
Your maternity photoshoot is a big deal! I want you to walk away having had the absolute best experience, so we plan as much as we can together.
We book our session in for around 32-34 weeks into your pregnancy (26-30 for twins as they tend to arrive much sooner), to make sure your belly is beautifully round but you are still feeling great and are comfortable.
I want you to have enough stamina for all the wardrobe changes and poses but please don't worry, it won't be too strenuous.
I mostly photograph all my expecting mums at the studio, where we can easily control the temperature to make sure you feel comfortable at all times, but depending on the time of year, I occasionally shoot my maternity sessions outdoors, if the weather is pleasant enough to venture outside.
If there is a location that has a special meaning to you and your partner, I am also happy to consider photographing you there. Another popular option is your home, if you are looking for more of a lifestyle kind of session, capturing images in the nursery, for example. We usually cover those aspects of your session at the consultation, but should you decide at a later date that your preferences changed, please let me know and I will see how we can accommodate it.
Through the consultation, I get to know you and your family a bit more, find out what your goal is for the session, what styling you would like, what colours dominate in your home.
I want to know as much about you as I can: what makes you smile, how would you like to be photographed, where you are planning on displaying your images.
There is a lot of planning that goes into your maternity session, but I can assure you, it will all be worthwhile, because the images we create together will not only document this moment in time for you to look back with a smile years from now, but also reflect your style.
What to expect
The process
What to wear
A maternity photoshoot is an important first milestone in your baby's biography, and we want to look our best on the day of the session, but what works and what doesn't? What's flattering when your body no longer looks and feels like your own and your clothes size changes weekly?
I also want you to walk away having had the absolute best experience, so we plan as much as we can together.
Clothes are an extension of our personality and our views on the world, in some cases, so I will never be one to tell you to wear something that doesn't represent you.
Timeless outfits in neutral colours always work great. Knitted, body-hugging dresses will make you feel comfortable. I recommend 1-2 wardrobe changes.
If, however, you feel absolutely stuck and would prefer us to dress you and style the session fully, we are ready to do all this for you (at no extra cost!).
Our studio offers a wide selection of maternity gowns, from voluptuous, puffy numbers, if you would love to stand out, to timeless, fitted, understated pregnancy dresses that suit every bump. We have sparkles, we have satin, we also have fitted, body-hugging knits, if you would like to mix it up a little.
We are going to capture the beginning of your baby's journey, but on the day, you are the star of our show. Your new baby will have their moment at the newborn session, but during your maternity shoot, we don't want anyone else to steal the limelight!
What about dads?
Dads: please wear a solid colour shirt. You are welcome to bring two colours, especially if you cannot decide what works best.
Smart-casual is the look we are going for.
So what works?
Think cotton, linen, sweaters, even lace. Texture is good as it brings a bit of interest to your images. No texture is good as well, as it will refocus our efforts on your bump. Please avoid logos and heavy patterns as they take the focus off you: my main subject.
In terms of colours, think about what would work in your home. What style are you attracted to? Bright and light or dark and sumptuous? Casual or dressy? Let me know and I will make sure to incorporate that in your session.
Comfort comes first. I want you to feel as comfortable in your clothes as possible. I want your memories to be filled with love and happiness, and not you worrying about not wearing a pencil skirt or a suit.
There is a time in life for everything, and the next couple of months are your time for comfort. Embrace it.
I've put together a style board for your inspiration:
Would you prefer to have usdress you?
Here are just some of the dress options we have available at the studio:
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Posing
My name is Alexa Young
Your body changes every day, and getting used to the new curves and shape takes a bit of time. You may not feel 100% yourself, and you would be correct! Your hormones are changing, your shape is changing; sometimes even your skin will feel out of control.
You may not feel your best, and even remotely up for showing a stranger your new body. You are in your most empowered yet vulnerable state. Please don't stress about it and overthink it. Every mama goes through this and sometimes it takes a while before we learn to accept our new bodies.
Artistic
Nude
Get to Know Us
I have a true passion for capturing the last weeks of my beautiful clients' pregnancies, wearing amazing gowns from our trusted suppliers and looking absolutely breathtaking, but my passion for maternity photography started years ago, photographing the nude female form, and over the years, I found this to be my true calling. I love raw, back to basics images, depicting you and only you. Focused on the growing life within you and the love that grows faster than your bump.
Elegant, natural, timeless and minimalistic pregnancy portraiture is a true staple of our bump session. You can opt-out of having nude images, and I will deliver the most amazing selection of images, with a mixture of dresses, body suits and scarves as props and outfits, but I always encourage all my expecting mums to have at least a couple of images just of themselves, which will never go out of fashion.
We recommend you bring a set of nude (or white) and black lingerie, and for the nude images, we have disposable pants available at the studio, so you never have to get totally naked.
Our studio is heated to 25 degrees during a maternity session, to make sure you are as comfortable as possible.
Kids
Older siblings are usually very excited about the new addition to the family and we want to make sure they are included as much as possible to never feel left out.
For the younger children, a photoshoot may be a stressful event, especially if they are shy and have never had a session before.
If having their picture taken makes them feel nervous, or you believe they could feel stressed on the day, please bring them to our consultation so that we can get to know each other better.
Tell them we will have a lot of fun together on the day, and refer to me and talk about me as you would about a friend, to make them feel more at ease with the idea of having their photos taken. If there are any toys that make them smile and any games that make them happy, bring them with you on the day.
I am a known supporter of all kinds of bribery, and if it was up to me, I would promise my models puppies and hoverboards, but I will settle for chocolates as an alternative. Feel free to bring anything you are happy to use as a bribe and we will use it if should we need to.
a sugar high is temporary; beautiful memories are forever.
If they are teenagers, they may be more excited if you tell them the session won't take long and they are free to go home when their part of the shoot is over (the same sometimes applies to dads).
Continuity images
The majority of our clients who we meet at the beginning of their baby's journey, photographing their growing bump, come back for the newborn session, and subsequently for the sitter session when their dinky model is around 8 months old and sitting up unsupported, and for their big milestone: the first birthday session.
If you like our work and would like us to photograph your baby's first year, it's worth considering the continuity images.
We could photograph your maternity > newborn > cake smash journey, or maternity > sitter > family session trio, with the same styling and colours.
Continuity images can take many forms. We can have a before and after style images, with you holding your growing bump during your maternity session and holding your newborn baby during the newborn shoot.
We would dress you in the same colours and outfits, and the only difference would be your new family addition in your hands. Styling and lighting, together with editing, would be the same.
Partners
Some mums enjoy their maternity session with their sisters, some with their mums, some with their girlfriends. Some join me on their own, treating the day as a little pamper session for themselves.
Partners however are always welcome to join us during your maternity session.
It's totally up to you, whether you prefer to treat it as an intimate session focused on you in this moment in time, or as a family affair, with your older children, your partner, your parents and maybe even your dog. Everyone is welcome to join us.
There is no right or wrong way to conduct your maternity session as every family is different and we all have an idea of how we'd like to remember those last few weeks of our pregnancy.
Family Heirlooms
Are there any items close to your heart that you would like to bring to the session? Teddy bears you store safely, which belonged to your parents, maybe even grandparents?
A scarf that symbolises someone in the family, a wedding dress or a veil that reminds you of the happiest day of your life?
Maybe you have a passion or a hobby that means a lot to you and you would like to include even one or two images depicting this in some way?
Whether it's something big, or really small, if it's important to you, it's important to me as it's all a part of your family's story that we want to capture on the day.
Animals
Our babies will forever be the most important humans in our lives, but if you have a furry friend or two, who filled your heart prior to the newest arrival, they are always welcome at our studio.
We have water bowls, snacks and copious amounts of love for the woofiest amongst us, and we will do our utmost to capture some gorgeous images of your hairy and not-so-hairy babies together. Maybe even a family portrait of you all!