How Do You Want Your Maternity Session to Feel?
One of my favourite ways to start any kind of brainstorming — whether I'm planning a maternity photography session, an event, a creative project, or pretty much anything else — is with one simple question:
How do I want it to feel?
It sounds simple, but starting there can make the rest of the planning process SO much easier. And before you rush over to Instagram or Pinterest (more on that later!)...
I want you to sit with this question and see what comes up.
Once you have a feeling or vision in mind, you can work backwards from there. Instead of getting overwhelmed by all the choices, you can make decisions based on what will actually create the experience you want.
And when it comes to planning your maternity portrait session, I want you to start in exactly the same place:
How do you want your maternity session to feel?
Do you want it to feel peaceful? Wild? Romantic? Playful? Cozy? Adventurous? Glamorous? Intimate?
There really isn't a wrong answer.
Start With the Feeling
Do you find comfort in being near the water?
Then let's take your maternity session to the beach!
Petrie Island Beach is one of my favourite locations for maternity sessions, and I have a few secret spots I especially love. I'm also always open to exploring other beaches and waterfront locations around Ottawa.
There's something about being near the water — the movement, the open sky, the breeze — that creates such a beautiful sense of calm and freedom in photographs.
Do you feel most at peace surrounded by trees?
Let's head into the forest!
Ottawa has SO many beautiful parks and wooded locations that work wonderfully for maternity sessions, including places like the Arboretum, Larose Forest, and plenty of lesser-known spots.
Forest locations can give your session a more earthy, romantic feeling, and depending on where we go, we can often find wide-open spaces as well as more intimate, tucked-away areas with very few people around.
Do you feel most alive in the city?
Then let's embrace it!
If you love the energy of an urban neighbourhood, architecture, movement and a little bit of city magic, there's no reason your maternity photos need to take place in a field.
We can plan a downtown session that feels modern, editorial and completely you.
Do you feel coziest at home?
Then let's stay home!
An in-home maternity session can be incredibly personal and beautiful, and there's a reason why in-home sessions are hands down some of my favourite sessions!
They feel SO personal and do a great job of documenting you in your space: Your favourite chair, your bedroom, the baby's nursery, your kitchen, your front yard, your pets, the little details you've created around your home — these are all part of your story.
Sometimes the most meaningful location is simply the place where you already feel the most like yourself.
The Second Decision: Location
Once you've figured out how you want the session to feel, choosing your location becomes much easier.
Once you've given that feeling some thought and you're ready for some visual inspiration, you can see my Maternity portfolio HERE.
For location inspiration, you can check out my blog post about some of my favourite Ottawa locations HERE.
And once we know where we're going, we can start thinking about what you want to wear.
When choosing outfits, consider both the colours in your environment and your own personal style.
You can choose colours that blend beautifully with your surroundings for a soft, cohesive look, or choose something that contrasts with the environment to make you really stand out.
And, of course, you should wear colours that you actually love.
You can find outfit ideas throughout my website and blog, and I've also put together a Pinterest board with maternity session inspiration and ideas.
Check out my Pinterest board for inspiration and ideas HERE.
So now you've decided how you want your session to feel, and that has started to guide how you want it to look.
Now let's talk about the finishing touches.
Hair & Makeup
First things first: you absolutely do not need professional hair and makeup to have beautiful maternity photos.
But...
These photographs are going to become part of your family's history. They're something you'll look back on years from now, and hopefully something your children will one day look at, too.
So if getting your hair and makeup professionally done makes you feel amazing?
Do it.
Get the nice makeup. Book the blowout. Hire the makeup artist. Get the lashes if that's your thing. Put on the outfit that makes you feel like an absolute goddess.
You deserve to feel incredible!
And if a little extra pampering helps you arrive at your session feeling confident, relaxed and ready to be photographed, that's a beautiful reason to do it.
The goal isn't to look like someone else.
The goal is to feel like the most beautiful, confident version of yourself.
The Timeline
Light is everything in photography, and I plan your session around the best available light whenever possible.
For outdoor sessions, we're often working with a fairly specific window of time, especially around sunset (hello golden hour!).
I recommend giving yourself a little extra time to get ready, get out the door and arrive at our location without feeling rushed. There is nothing worse than starting a beautiful session already feeling stressed because you were worried about being late!
I also like to arrive a few minutes early whenever possible so I can scout the location, look for beautiful light and get a sense of the space before you arrive.
Give yourself permission to slow down.
We'll have much more fun if we're not watching the clock.
Have a Little Preview Party
If you're feeling nervous about being photographed, here's something I recommend:
Have a little preview party.
Take ten minutes with your partner and look through a few of your favourite maternity sessions on my blog.
Notice what you love.
Is it the movement in the dresses? The connection between the couple? The candid moments? The locations? The way the light looks?
You don't need to recreate anything — this is simply a great way to start getting a feel for what you like and what you might want from your own session.
You can explore more of my work on the blog by clicking HERE
Take a Deep Breath
You do not need to know how to model.
Seriously.
Most of my clients have never been professionally photographed before, and that's completely okay.
You don't need to know what to do with your hands. You don't need to know how to pose. You don't need to know where to look.
That's my job.
I'll guide you through the session, give you direction when you need it, and create space for the genuine moments in between.
I've photographed so many different personalities, bodies, and comfort levels in front of the camera, and my goal is always the same: to create photographs that make you look at yourself and think:
“Oh my gosh. That's me.”
So take a deep breath.
You're going to be amazing!
Outfit Inspiration
I generally recommend bringing no more than two outfits for a maternity session. This gives us enough time to photograph both looks without spending your entire session changing clothes — especially when we're working with beautiful evening light.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Choose colours that photograph beautifully
Neutrals, blush, dusty pinks, creams, soft blues, teals, tans, greys and whites can create a light, romantic and airy feeling.
But don't feel like you have to stick to neutrals! If you love colour, let's use it.
Embrace movement
If you're looking for a soft, feminine and romantic look, a flowing maxi-length dress or skirt is always a beautiful choice.
Movement photographs so beautifully — especially outdoors when there's a little bit of wind.
Bring variety
If you're bringing two outfits, I recommend choosing two different looks — for example, one more formal and one more casual.
That way, your final gallery feels varied without feeling like two completely different photo sessions.
Coordinate, don't match
This one is important:
COORDINATE. Don't MATCH.
You don't need to show up wearing identical colours from head to toe.
Instead, think about how your outfits work together as a whole. Choose complementary colours, textures and tones.
And if both of you are wearing white tops, consider switching one of them out. Having some contrast between you will generally photograph much better.
Skip the tiny patterns
As a general rule, I recommend avoiding very small patterns — especially anything smaller than a dime. Tiny repeating patterns can sometimes create strange visual effects in digital photographs.
And while we're at it, I usually recommend avoiding graphic tees and athletic shoes unless they're genuinely part of your style and your vision for the session.
There are no hard rules here. Your photos should feel like you.
Most importantly: wear something you feel incredible in
This is probably the most important outfit advice I can give you.
Wear something that makes you feel confident.
Choose something that fits your body comfortably, flatters the parts of yourself you love and allows you to move.
Because if you're constantly wondering whether your dress is riding up, whether your jeans are digging in, or whether you look uncomfortable, you're not going to be able to relax into the experience.
And I want you to be able to relax.
I want you to laugh.
I want you to move.
I want you to forget, for a little while, that there's a camera there.
Because that's when the magic happens.
And That's Really the Whole Point
There are a million little decisions you could make when planning a maternity session.
Location. Outfits. Hair. Makeup. Time of day. Shoes. Accessories. Whether to bring the dog. Whether your partner should wear jeans or linen pants...
It can feel like a lot.
So when in doubt, come back to the beginning:
How do I want this to feel?
Let that answer guide everything else.
Because the best maternity session isn't the one that follows all the “rules.”
It's the one that feels like you.
If you're ready to start planning your own maternity photography session, let's chat!
