Your family is growing! Maybe you are counting down the days until you can capture this stage in a maternity session, or you may be on the fence about if you want a maternity session at all!

As someone who captures authentic, sun-soaked maternity sessions in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area, I will share with you my top three tips for a successful maternity session.

Book at the right time…and with the right photographer!

I recommend having your maternity session between weeks 32-36 of pregnancy. Any later and you risk feeling swollen (or missing the session altogether if baby decides to come early), any earlier and you may not be showing as much as you would like. Many photographers (myself included) offer packages that include both maternity and newborn sessions; similar to an engagement session before the wedding, this is a great opportunity to get to know your photographer and to feel comfortable with being in front of their camera. To get a spot on your photographer’s calendar at the right time in your pregnancy, I recommend reaching out in the early second trimester to complete your booking.

Dress in a way that makes you feel beautiful

Spend some time on Pinterest or your photographer’s Instagram determining the style of dress you would like for your session. With my photography style, long and flowy tends to look best; I provide a full client closet of size-inclusive dresses (all the mamas in pictures on this blog are wearing client closet dresses) to make selecting your dress as simple as possible. If this is your first baby, I recommend selecting two dresses from my closet for your session; if you have other little ones who will be participating in the session, I recommend selecting one dress to ensure we have a variety of time. I assist with styling your partner and other children to ensure they coordinate well for beautiful images!

Relax and enjoy

It can be so easy to get anxious in front of the camera (especially for solo images), which is why it is so important to select a photographer you trust. Absolutely no model experience is necessary to have beautiful images! When involving your younger children, I recommend focusing on authentic, unposed images, rather than trying to recreate specific images (like ones you have seen on Pinterest or social media). It is so much more beautiful when we capture what makes your family and pregnancy unique!

If you are interested in finding out more about Cincinnati maternity photography and newborn packages, you can submit an inquiry here to find out about availability and experience information.