As a photographer, I’ve had the pleasure of creating maternity portraits with hundreds of Baltimore moms. Over the years, I’ve picked up a few tricks that help moms look and feel their best for their close up! Here are my 6 tips to prepare for amazing maternity portraits.
Drink lots of water the week before your shoot! Staying hydrated is good for you anyway when you’re pregnant (did you know dehydration can bring on contractions?). Hydration also makes your skin look it’s absolute best. So drink up mama!
Get your hair (and roots!) done the week before the shoot. You don’t want to risk a look that needs a few days to settle close to your session. Go for your touchup a week before and you’ll be set.
Have your nails done the day before. Hands play a HUGE role in maternity portraits. You will be photographed holding and framing your belly, so make sure your nails and cuticles look their best! Make sure your nail technician is familiar with maternity massage guidelines if they add any hand, wrist or arm massages into your spa day treat.
Exfoliate and lotion! Removing those dry skin cells and moisturizing your skin will help it skin glow even more after a week of being well hydrated.
Pick clothes that accentuate your curves. Ask your photographer for their recommendation on what to wear - they often have beautiful collections of maternity gowns. But whether you’re picking from their collection or buying something for yourself, go with a gown that accentuates those beautiful curves! You might not wear something so figure hugging if you weren’t pregnant, but remember - these portraits are designed to show off that beautiful pregnant belly. Pick an outfit that flaunts it!
Hire a professional hair and makeup stylist. Most women are only pregnant one or two times in their life. If you’re going through the effort for maternity portraits - it’s worth the extra pampering to splurge for the pro stylist. They’ll make sure your hair looks incredible and do your makeup to accentuate your best features. Makeup for photography tends to be a little bolder than what you would wear every day, so leave it to the experts and leave one less thing for you to do the day of.
Ready to book? Contact me today to start planning your maternity portrait session.
