3 Prompts and Poses to Try at Your Next Maternity Photoshoot
Maternity Photos are the kind of thing that people either loveee or cringe at.
I often get clients telling me how they want maternity photos, but they feel weird about them.
They express how it is sentimental and important to them to document this very special chapter of their life...
while also explaining that they don’t want the photos to feel all light and airy and perfect, because lets be real
-pregnancy doesn’t always feel like that.
Posing is one way we as photographers can help our clients to tell the story
in a more real and relaxed way.
So whether you’re a photographer or a person preparing for your maternity photoshoot…
Here’s 3 natural-feeling maternity poses and prompts for your next maternity shoot.
Hands on Belly (reimagined and real)
Wait, I know what you’re thinking.
I know you think you’ve seen this before. It’s a classic!
But hold on a sec…
Picture what you normally see in photos. One hand snuggled right into the top, if not rested between belly and boob practically.
Second hand is usually at the opposite side of the belly right above the pubic bone,
like you’re showing off your prize squash and the rounder it is, the bigger the prize, baby!
Sooo i’m suggesting something a little different. See, sometimes I love that pose, but other times I look at that pose and think:
It looks rigid, the hands don’t look natural. They look like they’re gripping a basketball rather than caressing a soul.
To me it looks too perfect. Too turned on, too active.
But look at the photo above now. Notice how mom’s hands look gentle and are imperfectly off-centered. Both hands aren’t in any particularly specific spot. There’s space between the fingers and you can tell she’s felt those spots before.
Prompt:
Allow your fingers and palms to graze around your belly. Feel the roundedness of your belly and the softness of your skin. Keep moving in no particular fashion, but do it slowly and close your eyes if you like.
Now you’ve got a pose that keeps your subject moving, keeps their attention on how they feel, and movement that feels (and looks) true and natural.
2. Seated Cross-legged or One Tucked
Next we’ve got a seated pose. Cross-legged - I’m into it!
I love the “chill” vibe this pose gives off. To me, it projects confidence, comfortability, and grounded.
There’s just so many ways you could make this pose work if it’s accessible for your subject. In the first photo my subject is completely cross legged, but one leg in and another out would do too, as seen in the second.
Captured from a birds eye view, from straight on, or from the side (as above), you can get a great capture of mom’s belly, showing off it’s shape and size, while your subject leans back, breathes in deep and allows her legs to relax.
I can picture this pose in a pair of jeans or wide legged breezy pants, leaned against a wall or a coffee table.
Prompt:
“Find a comfortable cross-legged position, allow your knees to relax and drop your shoulders. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in while tucking your chin slightly, and then look ahead of you (or out the window, ect).”
Pro tip: include tip #1 next by telling your client to gently graze their belly with just one hand, tracing their fingertips around lightly.
3. Curious Exploration
Sometimes, the most natural pose, is the complete opposite of a pose!
Allow your subject to have time to let their mind wander. If you’re stressing about what pose to do next, try focusing your attention on your surroundings and going towards what feels cute, or quiet, or interesting.
Encourage your client to explore different items around them, feeling the texture and admiring the colors.
This could be a tree, a blanket, their own pant leg, or a plant or household decor item.
The intention is to capture your client being as they are - alive and human.
So much of our time is spent a bit absent-minded, in our own worlds and minds.
If you can capture your client in that quiet headspace for a moment or two, those shots are going to help tell their story and make your subject feel like you actually captured them in an authentic way.
Prompt:
“Okay why don’t you try getting up, moving around and going toward what feels interesting. See if you can find something with a cool texture or color and just let your mind wander a bit. Think about your little baby and the amazing journey you’ve already had together these past months, and what it’ll be like when you meet them.”
Well, there you have it! Those are my three tips and posing prompts for a natural, laid-back style of Maternity photos.
I hope you found these tips helpful and encourage you to try them out at your next shoot! Let me know in the comments below if you do, or if any of these make you imagine something else too - I’d love to know!
