I offer natural, relaxed and fun Central Coast maternity photography up and down ‘the coast’.
There is no better way to celebrate your pregnancy and the addition to your family than by doing a maternity session. I think it is a fantastic way to show your children what you looked like when you were pregnant. It is an amazing time for a mum-to-be and for your partner and family as a whole. And while preparing for the little one’s arrival, we often forget to stop and find time to capture this beautiful stage in your life.
I try to capture the joy and love of your pregnancy in a beautiful location and in beautiful light.
When to do your maternity photos?
Maternity photo shoots should be done when your bump is big, generally from around 30 weeks onwards.
It is also a personal choice as well, depending on how your pregnancy is going. Too early and your bump won’t be big enough. Too late and you may have trouble walking and moving around.
Time of day
Photography is all about light. The best time for maternity photos is at sunrise or sunset. The light is much softer, golden and more beautiful. The worst time for photos is in the middle of the day. The light is flat, harsh and unflattering.
As a rule of thumb, when the sun is low in the sky we can get beautiful portraits. When the sun is high in the sky we shouldn’t shoot. This means that during seasons like Winter, we can shoot almost any time of the day. While in Summer, where the Australian sun is high in the sky for most of the day, we can only shoot very early in the morning or quite late in the afternoon/evening. For afternoon shoots I generally try to schedule the shoot so it finishes once the sun has set.
Partner or no parnter?
It is totally up to you if you want to include your partner. But the shoot is more about your relationship and this new momentous journey that you are starting together, than just a big bump. So they probably should be in at least some photos as well 😉
Where do we shoot?
All shoots are done outdoors on location, generally at a park or beach. Somewhere on the Central Coast or Newcastle. If you have somewhere that you love or is special to you, then we can definitely go there.
The location should be fairly quiet. You don’t want to shoot at a park or beach that is totally packed with people.
I have a bunch of places that I love to shoot, National parks, State forests and local beaches. So we are happy to give you some ideas 🙂
Who can come to the shoot?
Maternity sessions are just for you and your partner and also any children that you currently have.
If you have a dog or pet that you consider part of the family, then they should definitely be a part of the shoot as well.
What to wear for your maternity shoot
For maternity sessions, you should wear clothes that show off your bump, the are you, and you feel you look great in. Here are some general tips:
- Don’t dress exactly the same as your partner. So please don’t both wear a white shirt and black jeans.
- Wear like colours, but not the same.
- If you are more formal, then dress up… if your personality is casual, then dress casual.
- If you love clothes, wear them… if you don’t, then don’t.
- Avoid bright, bold colour and crazy patterns as they are distracting and your eye will be drawn to it in the photo.
- Avoid shirts with pictures, words or logos and they will also draw the focus of the photo. Block colours look best.
- Go for softer colours that are more neutral. Neutrals don’t just mean greys and browns… there are neutrals in every colour.
- Don’t wear any elastic around your bump if you want photos of your bare bump. As elastic can leave marks on the skin that take a while to go away.
- Feel free to bring a couple of outfits along.
- Photos in the water also look awesome. So if you are shooting at the beach, waterfall or lake then feel free to bring cossies along or just jump in fully clothed.
- If you are a rule-breaker, then forget all these tips… just be yourselves and wear whatever you like 🙂
“Dress in a timeless manner and you will have timeless images, dress in clown outfits and you’ll have images that no one else will have ;)”
Adam Cavanagh
So if you are looking for Central Coast maternity photography, then please look through our images at the top of the page and get in contact if you would like to book a session.