If you’ve never had professional maternity photos taken before, you might be wondering what you actually do for an entire session. Do you need to know how to pose? What do you wear? What if your partner hates having pictures taken? What if your toddler decides they’re absolutely not participating?
The short answer is: you don’t need to know how to do any of it. That’s my job.
I’ve been photographing motherhood for more than a decade, and my maternity sessions are designed to feel relaxed, connected and like you. I’ll help with everything from choosing what to wear and finding the right location to guiding you through the session itself.
You just have to show up.
Before Your Maternity Session
Once you’re booked, we’ll start planning everything together.
We’ll talk about the kind of photos you’re drawn to, whether you picture yourself outdoors somewhere beautiful or would rather stay cozy at home, and who you’d like to include in your session.
You don’t need to find your own outdoor location. I have locations throughout Ocala and the surrounding North Central Florida area that I’ve carefully chosen for photography, and I’ll help you decide what fits the look you’re wanting.
You’ll also have access to my client closet, so you don’t necessarily need to go shopping for something you’ll wear once. If you’d rather wear your own clothing, I’m happy to help with that too.
The goal is for you to know exactly where you’re going and what you’re wearing before session day so you’re not trying to figure everything out at the last minute.
You Do NOT Need to Know How to Pose
This is probably one of the things I hear most:
“We’re so awkward in pictures.”
Good. 😂
You don’t have to practice poses before your session or know what to do with your hands. I will guide you.
I’ll help with where to stand, what to do with your hands, where to look and all of those tiny details that make a big difference in photographs.
But I also don’t want your entire gallery to feel like you spent an hour holding perfectly rehearsed poses.
We’ll move. You’ll snuggle your babies. You’ll love on your partner. We’ll laugh when something inevitably doesn’t go according to plan. I’ll give you direction when you need it and space when you don’t.
The goal isn’t to make your family perform for my camera. It’s to photograph you together.
Your Partner and Children Are Welcome
Your maternity session doesn’t have to be only about your belly.
This is a season your whole family is living through.
Partners and children are absolutely welcome, and we’ll get a mixture throughout the session. We’ll photograph everyone together, you with your children, you and your partner, and plenty of you by yourself.
And if you have little kids, please don’t spend the drive to your session threatening them with their lives if they don’t smile for the photographer. 😂
They don’t have to be perfect.
Some of my favorite photographs happen when kids are being exactly who they are. I’ll work with them, give them breaks when they need them and keep things moving so we’re not expecting a three-year-old to stand still and smile at me for an hour.
What If I Don’t Feel Good About My Body Right Now?
You don’t need to wait until you feel more photogenic.
Pregnancy can be beautiful and exciting, but it can also be uncomfortable. Your body changes quickly. You might not feel like yourself. You may love your pregnant body, or you may be counting the days until you have it back.
You don’t have to feel any particular way about pregnancy to deserve photographs of this part of your life.
I’ll guide you into flattering positions, pay attention to angles and light, and help choose clothing that makes you feel comfortable.
You don’t have to arrive knowing how to look good in photographs. That’s part of what you’re hiring me for.
What Actually Happens During the Session?
We’ll meet at your chosen location and take a few minutes to get settled before we start.
From there, I’ll guide you through everything.
We’ll usually begin with something easy while everyone gets comfortable with me and the camera. As we go, we’ll move through different combinations and prompts so your gallery has variety without the session feeling like we’re checking photographs off a list.
There will be posed portraits, but there will also be plenty of movement and connection.
You might walk together, cuddle your kids, talk to your baby, laugh with your partner or just have a minute to take in the fact that you’re actually growing a whole person.
And don’t worry if something feels silly while we’re doing it. Sometimes the things that feel a little ridiculous in real life photograph beautifully. 😂
What If My Kids Don’t Cooperate?
Then they’re kids.
Seriously.
You do not need to apologize to me because your toddler doesn’t want to stand where we put them or your five-year-old suddenly develops an intense interest in a stick they found on the ground.
I’ve been doing this a long time.
We’ll work around them instead of spending the entire session trying to force cooperation. We’ll play, move, change gears and give them a minute when they need one.
Please don’t judge the success of your session by how well-behaved you think your children were.
I’ve had plenty of parents leave convinced we couldn’t possibly have gotten anything, only to receive a gallery full of photographs they love.
What Happens If the Florida Weather Doesn’t Cooperate?
If you’ve lived in Florida for more than five minutes, you already know the weather forecast likes to keep us humble.
I keep an eye on the weather leading up to outdoor sessions. Clouds don’t automatically mean we need to reschedule, and a random chance of rain doesn’t necessarily mean the session is ruined.
If conditions genuinely aren’t safe or workable, we’ll make a plan.
Heat matters too, especially during pregnancy. I don’t expect a heavily pregnant mom to suffer through unsafe temperatures just for photographs.
We’ll work around Florida as much as we can. Sometimes Florida wins. 😂
When Should You Schedule Maternity Photos?
For most pregnancies, I recommend photographing maternity sessions when your belly is beautifully visible but before you’re at the point where everything feels miserable. (Typically between 28-34 weeks)
There isn’t one perfect week for everyone, though.
Your pregnancy history, how you’re carrying, whether you’re expecting multiples and how you’re feeling can all affect the timing.
The biggest thing is not waiting until the very end to start looking for a photographer. My calendar can fill in advance, so it’s always better to reach out early. We can choose the actual session date together.
You Don’t Need to Make This Complicated
You don’t need to find the perfect location.
You don’t need to buy an entirely new wardrobe.
You don’t need to know how to pose.
Your children don’t need to behave perfectly.
Your partner doesn’t need to suddenly become someone who loves having their picture taken.
And you definitely don’t need to show up feeling like a model.
Come as you are. I’ll take care of the photography part.
Because pregnancy doesn’t last very long, even when it feels like it does while you’re in it. One day that belly is gone, your baby is here, and you’re onto the next season.
I’m really glad when moms give themselves something that lets them remember this one.
Maternity Photography in Ocala, Florida
I photograph maternity sessions throughout Ocala, Marion County, Citrus County and the surrounding North Central Florida area, with outdoor and in-home options available.
If you’re expecting and have questions about maternity photography, you’re always welcome to reach out. We can talk about your vision, timing and what kind of session would feel most like your family.
VIEW MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY
