The experience of pregnancy and bringing home a newborn baby is so very powerful. Whether it is your first baby or your fourth, your life as you know it is bound to change. Those moments of pregnancy, taking home your newborn, and the first few days and weeks as a family are fleeting. Before you know it, you can hardly remember what it felt like to have your baby turn in your belly or what it felt like to hold your tiny newborn in your arms.
Having three children of my own, I know just how quickly it all goes. Maternity and newborn photography is a beautiful way to capture this very special time in your life and it ensures that you and your family never forget all of the special moments. Below, I want to share with you the 10 most beautiful photos that I think any new mother should have taken, and any maternity, newborn, and family photographer should capture through the lens. These photos will become heirlooms to be treasured by the families that you are photographing for generations to come.
1. A belly-centric shot
An expecting mother’s body is doing great and powerful work: she is growing a human. She should have a photograph that demonstrates her strength but also her connection to her unborn baby.
How to do it: Make sure that the mother’s body is angled toward you slightly as this will flatter her frame. Direct her to bend the leg that is closest to you, as this will give her body a beautiful shape. Then, be sure to direct her to place her hands on her belly while gazing down. This will show the bond that she already has with her baby.
2. A photo with the mom-to-be and her partner
Take a photograph that highlights the mother and her partner’s romantic relationship and to commemorate the moment before their life together changes.
How to do it: I like to make sure that mom is front and center and that her beautiful belly is accentuated. I ask her to stand in front of her partner and then ask the partner to embrace her from behind. I then direct the dad-to-be to kiss her on the cheek or neck for an extra intimate moment.
3. A goddess-like moment
Take a photograph that makes the expecting mother feel like the goddess she is. I love making sure my expecting mothers feel gorgeous during their maternity session.
How to do it: Place the mother in a beautiful light and make sure you remind her of her beauty. Then I direct her to place one hand in her hair while tilting her head back. Keeping a close eye on her body angle, make sure that she is bending one leg to give shape to her body as well as standing at a flattering angle to the camera. When she looks at this image she will forget all the aches and pains of pregnancy and instead remember how beautiful and powerful expecting a baby can be.
4. Include the future big brother or big sister
If this is not the mother’s first baby, it is essential to take a maternity photograph with the soon-to-be older siblings.
How to do it: Again, pay close attention to flattering the mother’s frame, and be sure to place her at an angle toward the camera. If the older sibling is young enough, I love to ask Mama to pick the child up and hold them close to her body. This shows the loving connection that the expecting mother has to her older children, while highlighting the beauty of her pregnant body.
5. A post-birth bonding moment
The days right after birth often feel like a blur. Professional photographs taken in the place of birth (hospital, birth center, or home) are such a gift for the mother. These photos should be unscripted and simple.
How to do it: Ask the mother to hold her baby and to look down at him or her. Make sure to shoot this from above to flatter the mother’s features as well as to show the newborn’s little face. This will capture the experience of bonding with a new baby, as well as the wonder that is finally holding your newborn in your arms after months of feeling the it kick in your belly.
6. The “coming home” moment
Every newborn shoot should have plenty of photos celebrating the growing family. Newborn photos that are taken in the home are intimate and show the family’s unique style and personality. It’s fun to take these photos all around the house.
How to do it: Because life tends to happen in the kitchen, I always grab a few photos of the new family in the kitchen. I make sure to keep the mother in the center of the pose because, let’s face it, she’s the core of most families. I direct the family not to look at me but rather to hug and kiss each other. Here, it’s all about the love and affection they have for each other.
7. Mom and baby bonding time
Every mother needs a close-up of her holding her newborn baby. Newborns grow and change so quickly. A close-up photo of a mother holding her newborn will remind her just how tiny and perfect her newborn was.
How to do it: Ask the mother to hold her baby in a way that feels natural to her, making sure there are no awkward positions. Then, direct her to snuggle the baby closer to her body, or simply enjoy the moment. Photograph her from slightly above and fill the entire frame with her and her baby. She will feel what it felt to hold her baby in her arms when she later sees this photo.
8. Capture the teeny-tiny details
Capture plenty of photos that highlight all the perfect, tiny, newborn details. These can easily be taken while the baby is in her mother’s arms.
How to do it: Have the mother hold the little one in her arms (and make sure they can be seen embracing the newborn). This will not only remind her of the tiny details, but will also remind her of how soft and delicate her newborn was. Crop in tight to really highlight the details you are photographing like feet, hands, or even little back rolls.
9. Capture the parents and the new baby
Capture an image that shows the loving relationship between mother and father with their new baby.
How to do it: I like to do this in the laying down position. Ask the dad to lay on his back and then place the newborn on his chest. Then ask the mother to lay down right next to dad and place her hand on her baby’s back. Then, ask mom and dad to look at each other or kiss. I shoot this from above their heads — it’s a flattering angle for mom and also allows her to remember her connection to her partner and her baby.
10. Don’t forget the baby and her older siblings
If there are older siblings, every mother wants a photograph of the older siblings with her new baby sibling.
How to do it: Safely place the siblings on the bed. Swaddle up the newborn for comfort and place the newborn in the sibling’s lap. Ask the siblings to look at or kiss the new baby. When the new mother looks back at this photograph she will be filled to the brim with love and joy.
Maternity, newborn, and family photography is a beautiful way to celebrate the new mother! It is an investment that will last a lifetime.
