Maternity Photo Session Guide | Bree Hanan Photography

Hello and happy Friday, y’all! I hope you have had an amazing week and have some fun plans for the weekend coming up! This week has been so busy for me, between two photo sessions and lots of shifts in the emergency department, but it’s been really good. The drought here in Northwest Arkansas has been classified as “extreme”, but I’ve been making the most of it and hiking as much as I can on my days off. 

Anyways, back to the real reason you’re reading this blog post today: maternity photo sessions! I’m going to talk all about what a maternity session is, why you should book one, how to prepare for it, and what to expect from the session itself. If you are pregnant, this is definitely the post for you! 

What is a maternity photo session? 

Simply put, a maternity photo session is for anyone who is pregnant … but it’s so much more than that, too! It’s a way to celebrate and document one of the most special and sacred times in a woman’s life. A way to memorialize the changes your body goes through as it literally grows a whole new human. It’s a practice in loving and appreciating your body in all its stages. And it’s a time to hit pause on all the hustle and bustle of preparing for birth and the newest member of your family, a time to slow down and connect with yourself and your baby. 

Maternity sessions can take so many different forms, depending on what you’re wanting. Sometimes they are solo portraits of just mom; sometimes they are couples photos; sometimes pets, older children, or your parents are included; I’ve even seen photos of a couple with their baby’s surrogate or biological mom, which is very touching. But the bottom line is, however you want this period in your life documented, a maternity session can accommodate it. 

Why should I schedule a maternity photo session?

One of the reasons I love photographing maternity sessions is that I believe every new life should be celebrated. If you have been following along with this blog during the last few months, you may have read my post “Life Lately”. The devastating experience of having a miscarriage has left me with an even greater sense of how important it is to document and celebrate every season of life as much as possible. 

Also in that previous post, I briefly mention that my own parents struggled with fertility issues. One of the issues was that my mom, when pregnant with both my older brother and again with me, had a condition called pre-eclampsia. It caused several problems for her, and it ultimately led to both my brother and me being delivered via cesarean section about two months early. Because of this, she never had the opportunity to have any professional maternity photos taken. I never got to see a photo of my mom holding her pregnant-with-me belly and gazing down at it lovingly. And for someone who loved looking at photographs as much as I did when I was growing up (and still do now!), I definitely felt this loss. 

Maternity photos are generational heirlooms, and this is a hill I would die on. When you invest in a maternity session, you’re doing it for you, you’re doing it for your baby, you’re doing it for their babies, and their babies’ babies. 

How do I prepare for my maternity photo session? 

There are a few things that I always recommend my clients to do before their session:

1. Start planning your outfits early – at least a week before your session. This gives you time to try everything on, lay all the pieces out to make sure everything looks good together, text me photos of your outfits to see if I have any additional recommendations, and buy (or thrift) any other pieces you may need.

2. Pamper yourselves. Get your hair done, get your nails done, get your makeup done if you want. Listen to your favorite music while you get ready. Buy a bouquet of flowers to hold during your session. Anything that will make this time feel special and elevated, I highly recommend.

3. If you already have children and they will be involved in the photo session, start talking early about how excited you are to have beautiful family photos taken. Tell them that they’ll get to go play by the creek, or in a field of flowers, or explore a forest. Let them pick their favorite restaurant or library or playground to go to afterwards as a special treat. Anything that you think will help them associate the photo session with specialness and positivity is always a good idea.

4. Take advantage of the resources I send you – everyone who books a session with me gets a welcome guide which includes sections on what to expect while working with me, a style guide with photo examples, and how to get the most from your session. 

What can I expect during my maternity photo session? 

Each and every maternity photo session is planned around you. If your doctor has put you on bedrest, we can capture beautiful photos in your home. If you have any other kind of physical limitations, perhaps a studio session is right for you. If you want a natural setting but don’t want to walk or hike far, I know several locations we can go with no hiking and minimal walking required. Whatever your comfort level is, we will find a place for your session that is absolutely perfect. 

Wherever we end up having your session, I let you set the pace. If you need a break to rest or go to the bathroom, we take a break. However fast you want to walk, that’s how fast we all walk. 

I think it should also be noted that I personally do not believe in removing stretch marks or other common pregnancy-related changes to your body. Your body goes through natural changes as it creates new life, and those changes should be celebrated and loved. Additionally, I would never want someone who is pregnant to look at any of my photos, compare her pregnant body to the one she sees on the screen, and decide that she isn’t pretty enough or good enough or [whatever] enough to book a maternity session of her own. 

Printing your photos

As I talked about above, your maternity photos are heirlooms, and should be treated as such. Because I believe so strongly in printing your photos, clients who work with me receive a print release in your contract so that you can print your photos from anywhere you choose. I also work with an amazing print shop that you can order prints from through me. I wrote a whole blog post about it which includes the pricing for ordering heirloom albums, heirloom prints, and proof prints (similar to what you can get from Walmart or Walgreens, but wayyyy higher quality). 

Final thoughts … 

I hope this post has encouraged you to book your own maternity session! This season in your life is so sweet and it deserves to be documented. If you are interested in sending me an inquiry to shoot your maternity session, click here. I also have a few more resources for you if you are searching for inspiration for your session:

Blog Post: How To: Create A Core Memory During Your Photo Session
Blog Post: How to Find Your Perfect Photographer

*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. If you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!

I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a couples/intimate wedding/elopement photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!

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