How to Have a Great Photo Shoot during Your Pregnancy

How to Have a Great Photo Shoot during Your Pregnancy
María José Roldán

Reviewed and approved by the psychopedagogue María José Roldán.

Last update: 27 December, 2022

In order to have a great photo shoot during your pregnancy, you need to keep a few things in mind. You’ll see how your photos will turn out beautifully if you follow these tips.

Being photographed during pregnancy is one of the most beautiful experiences that a future mother can have.

If you’re expecting, you should take advantage of the occasion to take some unique pictures.

These memories will be a good way to treasure the moment.

Many mothers choose to do “traditional” sessions. These sessions are comprised of the mother being placed in front of a backdrop with artificial decoration or a minimalist canvas.

Other mothers prefer spontaneous photographs at home. Everyone is entitled to their own tastes.

Although almost all mothers have photo shoots, only a few of them are really prepared for it.

Some mothers are even intimidated to ask for what they want and end up adapting to what the photographer suggests, without knowing if that’s what they really want.

The best way to plan your pregnancy memories is to be prepared. If you’re already pregnant and want to keep memories of the beautiful moment, make a list of the types of photographs you’d like to have. Besides the idea, note all of the things you’ll need to make the concept a reality

If you’d like to do “follow-up” sessions, where pictures are taken every month, you can do it in two different ways.

The first is to take a different picture every month with different outfits and the second is to use the same outfits and pose for every picture.

  1. You can take these pictures in profile in medium plane (half of the body).
  2. Frontal plane with hands below your belly (full body).
pregnant woman taking pictures

If you opt for monthly follow-up sessions, we recommend that during the tenth photograph, you place the baby in front of the space they occupied in your belly.

In other words, instead of holding your belly as you did in the previous 9 months, you’ll be holding your baby in your arms.

Tips to get the best out of your photo shoot

Firstly, remember that your pregnancy should be focused on the birth of your child. Yet you can document the whole process in interesting ways.

Pictures don’t have to be posed, there is a lot of beauty in candid photographs.

Spontaneity can be a great ally if you don’t like to pose in front of the camera.

Motherhood gives the female body a special “glow.” The body radiates with a natural and physical beauty that is quite photogenic.

In addition, the inner joy that we feel as mothers also makes us smile in a special way. Some say that pregnant women can even smile with their eyes.

Pregnant woman in bathtub

Intimate tips:

  • Love your body the way it is. Pamper yourself and don’t be afraid to undress in front of the camera.
  • Speak to your photographer to make sure that you’re both on the same page. If you don’t want to get fully nude, look for solutions together. Flowers, fabrics and other accessories can be used to cover the breast and pubic area.
  • Talk to your child, leave them messages for the future. Write down the child’s name or draw a picture of them in the album where you’ll place your photographs.
  • Get your family involved in the photo shoots. It’s also an important moment for them.
  • Don’t put limits on your imagination. Combine tender and emotional photos with more daring pictures.
  • Keep your state of mind in order to anticipate your endurance and mobility capacity. For the pictures taken during the last months of your pregnancy, you may feel a bit heavy and less agile than you felt previously. In cases like these, the photo session shouldn’t be lengthy.
Pregnant couple

Lights, cameras, action

  • There is nothing wrong with retouching. Pregnancy pictures usually need a little retouching. There may be stretch marks, hair, skin spots, varicose veins, swollen ankles, etc. The roundness of the belly may not be perfect. Don’t hesitate to retouch anything you wish in order to make the pictures as beautiful as possible. But there’s also nothing wrong with not retouching and rather embracing all of the details.
  • Choose the clothes that you’d like to wear for your last photo shoot. You can even go out and buy something special for the occasion.
  • Don’t overdo your makeup nor adopt excessively sophisticated poses. The more natural you look, the better the picture is. The natural beauty that pregnancy brings out is all you need.
  • Take your time. Plan the sessions ahead of time. It isn’t wise to rush through the session without keeping the details in mind.
  • Pick a place. Take your pictures in various places that you believe will make a beautiful picture. You can take a look at the pictures later and edit them to your liking.
  • Pick the right time of day. Make sure the light is perfect. Natural light is always best, keep in mind that the sun always illuminates the subject of the picture in the best way. Sunset is usually a great time to take pictures. Pictures taken at this time usually have a beautiful golden tone.
  • Choose your wardrobe carefully. Select loose clothing and colors that favor you. The color of your wardrobe doesn’t have to match the environment. If you decide to pose with someone else for a photo session, you should tell them ahead of time if you have any personal preference towards their wardrobe. This will prevent unplanned disparities.
  • Try out your poses beforehand. In order to obtain an original memory, you’ll have to practice your poses a bit beforehand. This also applies to mothers who get nervous at the last moment and of course it also applies to perfectionists.
  • Look for references. It’s important to have original ideas, but there is nothing wrong with researching about alternative photo sessions. This doesn’t mean you’re copying the idea; you’re simply using them as inspiration.

In order to have the perfect pregnancy photo shoot, all you need to do is enjoy the moment, relax and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

Surely, you’ll have to put in some effort to achieve what you want, but it shouldn’t make your life difficult.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.