“From each scan, the first kick, to pram shopping, everything about my first pregnancy has me in awe and in love at the life we made!” – this was how one of our mums described her experience as her baby grew inside her.
Wouldn’t you love to capture that feeling to have and to share with your baby when they grow up?
When Should You Take Maternity Photos?
Many people wonder about the best time to do a maternity photo shoot. Searching for answers you’ve probably seen a huge range of numbers, with no explanation from the photographer. Who do you trust? It’s almost as if people just repeat what they’ve heard from someone else.
For many people it’s the first time you’ve had professional photographs. You probably don’t know what to expect and what to look for. Don’t worry, we have all the answers for you.
In your wedding it was probably a hectic long day, places to be, people to greet, schedules to keep. With your pregnancy, it’s a more intimate event, just between the two of you. What’s really important is all the excitement, the emotions, the joy that you feel at this time.
So when is the best time for a pregnancy photo session?
Finding Out You’re Pregnant
Congratulations. From the very first moment you find out you’re pregnant, you’re looking forward to having a beautiful pregnancy photography. Find in all our years of being Sydney maternity photographers, the most common question we have is “When should we have our maternity photography session?”
Well, of course you’re going to take photographs yourself at home with your phone. Probably every day. When you come to us, it’s not just to get some photos of what you look like. It’s to capture something more. Something special.
First Trimester
For many couples, the journey to becoming pregnant is long and hard. When you finally get that positive test, you just can’t wait to share the news with loved ones.
From then, everything is magical. The times you spend together feel like they have more meaning. You feel a growing connection with your baby. You think about the future. You wonder if it’s a boy or a girl, and you think of names for both.
If you’re well prepared, you may think of a pregnancy progression photography session. This is where we photograph you in studio every couple of weeks and show how the belly grows over time. Each session is quick and simple, and gets you ready for the main session.
It’s all included as part of your maternity photography experience. So contact us early so you don’t miss out.
Second Trimester
When you’re around 12-14 weeks, your belly is noticeable enough that your friends and family will realise you’re pregnant.
This is a good time to start your pregnancy progression photography session. Ideally we would start with a photograph where your tummy isn’t even showing. We photograph once every month at the start, then possibly more frequently later on. It all depends on what you’d like.
Then you feel the first kick. Your belly feels big, is it time for pregnancy photographs yet? Here is what a belly looks like at 20 weeks from our progression sessions. It’s not huge from the front, but it looks very pregnant from the side already.
For most people though, it’s probably not time to have your maternity photo session, but it’s a great time to start planning. Look at different styles that people have done, and see what you would like for your own pregnancy. As you start buying baby cots and prams, the weeks will fly quickly.
It’s best to be booked in by around 26 weeks. We carefully plan with you all that you want to remember, all that you want to celebrate about this amazing time. As we talk to you, you may get new ideas, and notice new things about why you love your partner more and more.
Third Trimester
You’ll find that the belly hasn’t been growing “out” as much, but tends to “fill” in the recent weeks.
We want to hear about all these new firsts, the connection building between you. We learn about your story so that we can capture these emotions in your photographs in a natural genuine way.
We aim to have your main maternity photography session between 30-34 weeks. That’s around 7 to 8 months into the pregnancy. Each person is different, and some come at 27 weeks if their belly is bigger. At this point you are quite visually pregnant, but you still feel energetic and active.
We’ve actually had some sessions earlier. You’d be surprised, that the belly grows quite quickly at the start, and then it kind of rounds and fills up. So the shape changes more than a continually sticking out more.
Remember that the camera tends to make your belly look bigger than it does in real life. You don’t really have to wait until your belly is that its maximum size ticket the beautiful pregnancy photographs.
Late Pregnancy
We try to avoid the later weeks. Frankly, it’s not a competition to make the belly look as big as possible. Your belly is “big enough” for a beautiful photo shoot from well before, and wouldn’t you rather have it done and finished with? You might even get your artwork in time for baby’s arrival.
Usually around 34-35 weeks, for many mums it suddenly becomes very tiring even to stand for a little longer. Even moms that tell us they’ve been going for jogs and long walks every day suddenly hit this wall of tiredness. We want your photo session to be fun and relaxed. We don’t want you to look back and remember how tired you were.
The other problem is simply that a maternity photography session is more than just turning up to the studio. After we speak to you, you start thinking of what to wear and sentimental things to bring to the session. You might want to buy or rent some gowns to use.
These all take time, and if you start enquiring at 36 weeks, your baby may arrive early before your session happens. In fact it’s happened to several of our clients.
So really, really, try to plan ahead and aim for the 30-34 weeks wherever possible. We have photographed as last as 38 weeks, but she was very petite, and that’s the exception that proves the rule more than anything.
If there’s someone important (eg a grandparent) who isn’t arriving until later, consider having your session first, then having a mini session with them later.
Have A Pregnancy Progression Series
If you plan well ahead, you can also have a Baby Bump Progression series. You can start from as early as 10-12 weeks. We have a session every few weeks when the belly has grown a little. You can finish the series at your main session, or at your baby session.
Plan Ahead For Great Maternity Photography Sydney
Like all good things, a great Maternity Photography session takes time and planning.
We capture the connection between you and your partner. You may want some Pregnancy Boudoir Photography, you may have older children you want to celebrate too.
The great thing about this timing is that your artwork will be ready for you before your baby arrives.
When you go home from the hospital with your new bub, you’ll have beautiful photographs on the wall to remind you of the 9 months you’ve excitedly anticipated this moment.
Valent Lau Photography provides Pregnancy and Maternity Photography in Sydney. Contact us now and take your first step towards creating some beautiful heirlooms.
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