How to Create a Stunning Maternity Photoshoot

As the weather warms up and restrictions lift, there are more options available for planning events and celebrations. One such celebration is the maternity photoshoot. If you’ve no idea where to start, AirBrush has put together a list that you can use to get inspired for an amazing maternity shoot. 

Maternity shoots became popular with the advent of body positivity and its intersectionality with pregnancy. Women wanted to escape the confinement of pregnancy and celebrate want their bodies were doing and commemorate why their bodies were changing. In short, a maternity photoshoot is supposed to memorialise the incredible journey that a soon to be mother’s body went on to deliver life into this world.

To capture beautiful moments and memories, here are a few tips you can try to make your maternity shoot a smooth and pleasant event.

Just how do you envision yourself in the images coming out of this maternity photoshoot? A gently swollen belly? Or do you want the bump to be as conspicuous as possible? The only mistake to avoid is planning the shoot too early because you definitely want to at least see the bump in photos easily.

Out of a desire for comfort, you may be tempted to cover your body with excess fabric. But for a successful maternity photoshoot be sure to select clothing that shows off your favorite part of your new silhouette. 

The average mom is constantly having to get re-acquainted with her body for the duration of her pregnancy, so your go-to poses may no longer be your best poses. So get some practice in on some new, flattering poses. Is it going to be a one or two-hander on the belly? Will a partner be joining you and what kind of poses do you want to do together? These considerations help make your session go more smoothly.

You’ll want to play around with props depending on the theme or color story of your maternity photoshoot. Flowers go a long way on shoots and can act as a sort of static gender reveal when looking back at the pictures. You can also incorporate clothing, accessory or memento from a beloved family member who may longer be with you. Lighting, of course, will dictate the tone of the photoshoot, so decide if you want bright and fun, dark and mystical or golden and romantic. 

The Enhance tool was created to cover every element of your photo. Color saturation, sharpness, contrast, anything. By playing around with these elements, you can elevate your maternity photos to a pro-looking level. 

• Go to the Tools Tab on the Main menu and select Enhance.
• Scroll through the options to manipulate the photo. 
• Adjust the intensity of the effect by using the slide bar.
• Tap the checkmark to save your edit.

Use our Bokeh tool really envisage a world of your own, just you and your baby and whoever else may be participating. Bokeh can obscure the background of any photo so that the eye is pulled to the subject of the pic even more.

• Go to the Tools Tab on the Main menu.
• Select Bokeh and choose the shape of Bokeh you prefer (perhaps the heart-shaped one?) 
• Toggle the intensity of the effect by using the slide bar.
• Correct any over-application of the effect with the Eraser tool.
• Tap the checkmark to save your edit

Lastly, an AirBrush Filter is the perfect finisher for a maternity photoshoot. Again, depending on any theme you would have previously chosen, you can overlay a Filter that further pushes that theme to an optimal level. Pick out a clean and bright Filter for a beach or meadow photoshoot. Or choose something more hazy and dreamlike for a romantic quality.

• Go to the Filter tab on the main menu.
• Go to the tab on the main menu
• Select the Colorcategory to see Airbrush’s newest Filters
• Choose your favorite option. 
• Toggle the intensity with the slide bar
• Tap the checkmark to save your edit

While it’s obvious that preparation is required to pull off a memorable maternity photoshoot, our last tip is to try to have fun! Once you’re on location and the photographer is ready, there’s nothing much else to do but enjoy your session. Those relaxed, candid poses and smiles are what will make your mementoes of pregnancy great. And AirBrush, the easy photo editor, will make them better still with elevating edits on the shot you choose to post. Once you post, tag your pics with #AirBrushApp so everyone can all find them. Then follow us @AirBrushOfficial for our latest tips, tricks and hacks!