# First maternity shoot coming up :)



## JeffieLove (Jul 20, 2010)

Alright... so... Here is what I have posted on my other forum... Just thought I'd come here and see what everyone here could offer me since there is more traffic here  

Doing a maternity shoot on Thursday for a friend  I am definitely going to do all the "cliche"  shots... With her daughter's hands on the belly, daughter kissing the  belly, we are going to write the new baby's name on her belly with  washable marker (Baby's name is Mackenzie and I don't think I have the  blocks to make her name lol), and we are going to do the hand shaped  heart thing, and the ribbon around the belly, etc... I'm EXTREMELY  excited  I can't wait! But, I have to force myself to  finish these bridal pictures that I did on Sunday BEFORE Thursday so I  don't have to worry about 2 sessions! I'm going to be busy over the next  couple months  lol

She has  a bay window in her house, so we are definitely going to make use of  that... She is going to be wearing a black top and a pair of regular  jeans.... Her daughter is 2 1/2 and has a black dress and a matching bow  for the dress taht we are going to dress her in and we are going to do  the normal sibling stuff the nursery is done (mama is 37 weeks  pregnant) so there is plenty of stuff in there we could use... We could  do the thing where mama is holding her belly and looking into the  crib... 



Here are the shots I have come up with that I definitely want to do (I have a couple other maternity shoots coming up as well, so I don't have to do all of these with just this session)

1. Bow around the belly with pink ribbon (I also have some pink ribbon that says "Princess" on it in silver letters)
2. I found some stickers that are actually chip board that have letters on them and are kind of gender neutral, but they are REALLY cute and I want to use them to put baby's initials on the side of her belly. I might even have the letters for baby's name... 
3. I have a pink bow that we can stick on top of her belly like it's a bow on a girls head. 
4. Big sister is going to do the normal stuff... Hands on the belly, kissing the belly, resting her head on mama's belly, etc. 
5. Pair of baby booties on the belly  

Alright, so maybe I don't need suggestions now... I just  need to make a list of all the shots I want to get... 

I might see if  she wants to get brave and use my black king size sheet that I usually use as  a back drop and do the thing where she wraps it around her chest and  then under her belly... I'm not sure if I'm capable of making that look  good, but it might be worth a shot 

Wow  I'm excited  Can anyone tell?  lol


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## tirediron (Jul 20, 2010)

Good luck!


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## JeffieLove (Jul 20, 2010)

Really? Just a good luck? No tips, suggestions, "you've got it under control", nothing else?


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## Morpheuss (Jul 20, 2010)

Sounds like you will do a wonderful job and it sounds like you are going to really enjoy the shoot as much as the mother is


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## JeffieLove (Jul 20, 2010)

lol thanks morpheuss  Is that just an ego boost or are you serious?


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## Carson38 (Jul 20, 2010)

Hey I am excited for you, like you I have a maternity shoot coming up too and I am really excited! I have a little idea for you  With that pink ribbon, make a tag looking lable on your computer that says " Don't Not Open Until (whatever the due date is) I really like this idea! It's really cute. If you don't get the mental picture then just google it


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## JeffieLove (Jul 20, 2010)

yeah.. I've been googling all night looking for different maternity photos... and ALL I CAN FIND is stuff that is nude or partial nude :/ 

I'm not comfortable with any amount of nudity so it won't be happening and that fking frustrates me.


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## BekahAura (Jul 21, 2010)

I have my 1st two maternity shoots coming up next week and the week after, so I also spent a lot of time researching. 

My favorite idea is to shape the mother's hands into a heart and have her place them against her belly with her belly button showing through the middle of the heart. If the father will be in the picture you can also have him stand behind her and place his hands over hers in the same heart shape.

I actually found the perfect-sized wooden heart at Michael's to stick in the heart shaped by the hands. I can't wait to shoot.

Good luck with your shoot.


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## JeffieLove (Jul 21, 2010)

Yeah, I am trying to avoid SOME of the cliche stuff... I've seen that done and while it's really cute, I think it is borderline over done :/ And yes, so is the bow around the belly thing, and the older sibling stuff... 

I don't see booties done very often anymore... and I've not really seen a lot of women let someone draw the baby's name on their belly anymore. I am actually going to draw the baby's name on my friend's belly for the last set of pictures  It's going to be in primary colors (because I didn't get the girly color markers for my daughter for school.. I'm a horrible mom! lol) and it's going to be pretty... I haven't seen anything like that in a long time.. if ever? I am trying to look at things to get my "own" ideas based off of something else. I hate to just be "normal" and just copy what everyone else has already done a million times!


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## amberl (Jul 21, 2010)

you can use the blocks that have numbers and letters on them to say baby or the babies name if they have picked it out.


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## PerfectlyFlawed (Jul 21, 2010)

Can't wait to see them! 
What about the mommy holding an empty picture frame in front of her baby bump...at an angle perhaps. I see a lot of portraits for kids done like that...think itd work for a maternity shoot..something black and white maybe?!
I really like the 'gift tag'idea..
Or even have her hold one of her ultra sound shots in front of her belly....and do a low shot from the arms down or something just get the belly and ultra sound pic. There's always those sticky 'foam' stickers u can buy at walmart or any craft store. They come in all sizes....could use those instead of blocks too...

That's all I can think of for right now.


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## BekahAura (Jul 21, 2010)

Ok so everyone does the hearts... how about this: I saw one shot of a mom's belly covered in blue and pink post it notes with the possible names of the baby written on them.

I'd love to try this myself... but in this day it's very rare for the parents to wait to find out the sex. So if the mommy you're shooting falls into this category go for it.

You could also do this if they just haven't figured out the name yet.


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## PerfectlyFlawed (Jul 21, 2010)

Oooo... What about laying her on her side...dropping real flowers or something on/around her tummy....like a 'floral' maternity shoot thing? Maybe lay her in a grassy field? Or on a dark backdrop...

Sorry if my ideas are lame...hopefully they helped a little :/ good luck


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## Morpheuss (Jul 21, 2010)

JeffieLove said:


> lol thanks morpheuss  Is that just an ego boost or are you serious?


 
No I'm completely serious. You sound as excited as a dad going to see the first ultrasound... and I love all your ideas I will have to steal some of your ideas if i ever do a maternity shoot.


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## tirediron (Jul 21, 2010)

JeffieLove said:


> Really? Just a good luck? No tips, suggestions, "you've got it under control", nothing else?


 
Yep, just 'Good luck' - that's unknown territory for me.   This is one area of photography that I have and will never venture into.  Homey don't do materinty!


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## JeffieLove (Jul 21, 2010)

lol you all are great! 

Perfectly, they do have a name picked out. I bought those chip board letter things that are kind of fancy and gender neutral and I am going to see if I have enough of them to spell out baby's name. (My only question with that is if I am doing something with the baby's name should I have the first letter of her name closer to the outside of mom's belly or closer to her back? So should the name lead to the front of the belly? Or to her back?)

I do like that idea with the flowers... She is going to be wearing a black tank and I will see if she can turn it into like a tube top that just covers her breasts and put flowers around her belly or something... I just need to find some flowers... Hmmm... 

Bekah, I will DEFINITELY do that if I ever come across a couple that doesn't have a name picked out  

Perfectly, I also like the idea of the empty picture frame. I have one I can take with me! YAY! Wow  

And Morpheuss and TiredIron, Thanks for the encouragement  I very muchly appreciate it  lol


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## gsgary (Jul 21, 2010)

Make sure you get good focus, some of the poses look really cheesey i prefer the low key studio shots


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## bigtwinky (Jul 21, 2010)

gsgary said:


> Make sure you get good focus, some of the poses look really cheesey i prefer the low key studio shots


 
+1, but I'd go for simple and natural light in the mother's house...give it a more at home, natural feel.  To each their own I guess, its about what the client wants really.


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## mwcfarms (Jul 21, 2010)

Don' be afraid to try something different. You have tonnes of great ideas that you have seen. My advise it if something pops into your head. Try it. Worst case it fails and you wasted a bit of time, best case you have something different from everyone else. Good luck and I cant wait to see pics.


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## PerfectlyFlawed (Jul 21, 2010)

Since its such a long name...what about her laying on her side and tracing the outside if her belly curve with the letters? They'd probably take up her whole belly. Itd look cute...with a few flowers on each side of the name...

Lol---did that make sense?


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## JeffieLove (Jul 21, 2010)

Yes it did and I am TOTALLY loving that idea!


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## FoxyShorty (Jul 21, 2010)

Sounds like you've got some really great ideas there! And certainly not lacking in enthusiasm  We're doing a maternity shoot in a couple months, so I am looking forward to seeing some of your photos!


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## vtf (Jul 21, 2010)

Just off the wall suggestion but what if you took a shot of the mom holding a basket and theres a teddy bear in it. On her belly is written something to the effect "A Blessing to a Blessing". Once the baby is born and a few weeks out you take a set of the baby at the same angle of the basket and teddy bear as in the original shot that way you can photoshop her in using layers. Therefore you have in the same photo the maternity and baby. I'll let you work out the details of angles, sizes and your ability to do something like this.


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## JeffieLove (Jul 21, 2010)

hah vtf! I would NEVER be able to come up with the skills to do something like that but that is a TOTALLY amazing idea! lol wow. lol.


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## vtf (Jul 22, 2010)

Well maybe hold that idea for down the road.


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## Rajeen Loius (Jul 29, 2010)

I don't think its that difficult to shoot, im no pro. but the more environments and scenes you work in the better your range.


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