Michelle Ramirez Photography | Sew Trendy™ Jessica Gown
No matter what your portrait subject, more often than not, it’s a good idea to compose a shot that’s simple, straightforward, and allows the portrait subject to shine. This is certainly true of maternity photography, though perhaps a little more difficult.
After all, with a pregnant mom, there’s quite a lot going on. You’ve got to figure out a way to show off just how gorgeous she is, even if she doesn’t feel like it. That means highlighting her beauty while also creating an image that shows her connection to her coming baby. That’s not as easy to do as it sounds!
Yet, keeping things simple is a great way to help you achieve your goals. Let’s find out why.
Keep It Simple
TG Newborns | Sew Trendy™ Miley Gown
Regardless of whether you shoot indoors or out, in your own studio or your client’s home, creating simple compositions is of the utmost importance. The beauty of pregnancy is that it is a story in and of itself, and doesn’t require a lot of extracurricular activities in the shot to allow you to convey how special the process is.
In fact, the more you simplify the composition, the more clutter you eliminate from your subject’s surroundings, the more effective your storytelling will be. That also means you can concentrate your efforts on making mom as beautiful as possible through her wardrobe and accessories (more on that in a bit).
Easy Tricks to Create Simple Images
Essie Rose Photography | Sew Trendy™ Rachel Gown
The question then becomes, how does one simplify the composition? There are a number of ways you can do this quickly and easily:
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Use a wide aperture to get a shallow depth of field and make the background nice and blurry.
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Pay attention to the background, noticing any elements that will remain distracting even if they are blurred.
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Simply recompose the shot by changing your perspective or point of view. For example, if you’ve composed a backlit portrait but the lighting is just too intense or distracting, try a shot from above the subject, looking down at her, to eliminate the background light.
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Zoom in or move closer to the subject to frame out any distracting elements in her surroundings.
Be Smart With the Wardrobe
Eyeris Photography | Sew Trendy™ Emerlie Gown
As noted above, the great thing about simplifying your compositions is that you can use your subject’s wardrobe and accessory choices to enhance her look and make her feel as gorgeous as possible. Of course, not all wardrobe and accessory choices for pregnant women are all that fashionable. That’s not the case with Sew Trendy Accessories, however.
If you want your pregnant clients to look and feel their most beautiful, Sew Trendy Accessories has a line of maternity gowns, crowns, sashes, and other accessories that help draw the viewer’s eye to the mom-to-be. With your simplified composition, mom will already be the center of attention, but by having her dress in a Sew Trendy gown, like any of those pictured throughout this article, you can take your maternity photography to a completely different level.
Sew Trendy Accessories is the perfect partner for maternity photographers because their items are gorgeously made, look great, and are the perfect complement to telling the story of mom and her pregnancy. They’ve even got accessories for little girls, so soon-to-be big sisters can get in on the fun (and fashionable!) maternity photo shoot. So, work on simplifying your compositions, get your clients dressed to the nines, and your job of creating beautiful, intimate maternity photos will be much, much easier!