Relaxed and Intimate Couples Maternity Photoshoot – Taunton

Maternity photography can be a beautiful way to commemorate and celebrate this exciting time in your journey to motherhood. However for some couples the idea of a Maternity Photoshoot is a little intimidating let alone relaxed or intimate

‘What if we look silly?’, ‘How will we know how to pose?’, ‘We’re just no good at this kind of thing!’. These are just a few phrases that came from chatting with expecting parents Liv and Jord before their maternity shoot at their canal side him near Taunton.

These worries are something that I love to help families and couples overcome either before or during their session. In this post I will be sharing with you just some of the ways that I work with couples to help them feel confident in front of the camera, educate and empower them to enjoy the experience and get beautiful images they will treasure forever.

Why include your partner in your Pregnancy Photography?

When I approached Liv with the idea of doing a Maternity Photoshoot she was a little hesitant. Unfortunately this is not uncommon.

In the UK, in contrast to the US, enlisting the help of a photographer to capture key milestones in our lives is still something that is relatively unusual. The yearly Christmas card picture just isn’t a thing here! Maybe it’s our British sensibilities but we still seem to err on the side of privacy and only with the new trends in social media sharing are we seeing a mindset shift from the younger generations. A large factor is the overall quality of photography that we are seeing online is improving exponentially, a blurry selfie just won’t quite cut it any more and families are keen to capture images together that feel artistic, elevated and professional.

When talking with Liv she could absolutely see the value in quality photography of her pregnancy and was excited to have beautiful images to display in their gorgeous home knowing that one day their baby would grow to see and enjoy them too. For Liv her main barrier was her shyness, her fear that she would somehow ruin the images by feeling awkward or uncomfortable. After much reassurance that this would not be the case I suggested that why don’t we make it a couple maternity shoot.

Jord like Liv is not a ‘camera person’ by which he means that being photographed is not how he really enjoys spending his time. But it was clear from the outset that supporting his beautiful wife and celebrating this exciting new chapter in their lives absolutely IS in his wheel house. From the moment I arrived at their home for the session Jord was helping Liv; giving her confidence, supporting her choices, checking in on her wellbeing and showering her with praise. This little team were a powerhouse of love and generosity and it was so great to see.

What to wear for your Couples Maternity Photoshoot?

Whenever families ask what they should wear for photography sessions my first response before anything else is ‘something that you feel comfortable in’. The same always applies for maternity photography too.

When your body is growing a new life it’s no surprise that sometimes you can feel a little disconnected from the person in the mirror. Internally your body is changing and adapting quickly to meet the needs of your baby and sometimes it can be challenging to find what you feel comfortable wearing to still represent you outwardly.

As part of my maternity sessions I have a range of dresses in my Client Closet that Mums-to-be can choose from to style their shoot. I brought a selection of three or four over for Liv to try on before the session and see which she liked best. After trying a few of the dress Liv opted to stay in the black sun dress from her own wardrobe because it was more comfortable and felt like her. Honestly, I was thrilled.

I reassured her that this was 100% the right decision because no matter what, we would always get the best results from the shoot when she was feeling herself. I firmly believe that styling can push an image to the next level but nothing can be elevated if you can see in someones face they aren’t feeling their best.

The dress that Liv opted to wear was flowy with a tiered skirt (great for bump posing) and matched perfectly with Jord’s t-shirt. She effortlessly styled it with some round sunglasses and her Birkenstock flip-flops and the coupled looked tres chic as we stepped out to find locations around their home.

How do you pick your Maternity Photoshoot location?

The beauty of outdoor photography is that you can choose a location that has meaning or significance to you. Maybe it’s in your home where you’ve raised your family, maybe a park or a beach where you love to spend quality time together or even, like a recent shoot I’ve done, the woods where you got engaged.

Having these locations as the background for your images can add so much meaning and depth to your connection to the portrait. So when Liv suggested we shoot around their home near to the Taunton Canal I was immediately excited to see what we could create and how we could incorporate some of the local landmarks into the images.

The abundance of verdant greenery was stunning and after some careful weather watching we had managed to secure an evening when the sun was showing off everything in high relief. Walking through the lanes banked with wildflowers we talked about their home and how they had chosen it for the idyllic remote location and spent years lovingly renovating to become their forever home. That this would one day be the place they bring their new baby in the pushchair, riding their bike or walking hand in hand made it the perfect location for meaningful and emotive maternity images.

How can your photographer help you to relax?

We chatted all the way to the canal, learning about their life in the beautiful Creech St Martin, their preparations for the new baby and the excitement of the summer ahead. To an outsider this might have appeared nosey but their is a subtle to method to all the questions. Not only is it lovely to learn about your clients and get to know them better, but by asking questions and prompting them to talk about themselves I’m actually helping them to relax.

It may sound a little narcissistic but psychologists will tell you that we love to talk about ourselves, and the easiest way to establish connection and break any tension is by asking people questions to help them open up. So if clients, are feeling self-conscious, nervous or awkward, asking them a few questions about themselves can quickly get them feeling more at ease.

This chatter continues through out the session, pausing only briefly to prompt some poses or to give lots of praise so that they’re feeling confident and reassured that their images are great. No awkward silences or gaps for self-doubt to creep in just lots of laughter, lots of smiles and the odd bit of banter.

There were no end of gorgeous places to shoot along the route we had taken but I was careful to choose some quiet locations to position Liv and Jord into a pose for a portrait. I also tried to choose poses that felt either more natural and unstaged or what I would call ‘low stakes’. By this I mean poses where they aren’t having to hold a smile, looking at the camera or oven face the camera at all in some instances.

One of my favourite shots from the whole shoot is this one on the banks of the canal where I asked Jord to face away from the camera, hands in pockets looking straight out into the distance. Naturally Jord was more than happy with this set up and Liv then settled into position at his side gently resting her head on his shoulder. The shot took less than 30 seconds to compose and for me it is a strong image that seems to epitomise their connection to each other, their connection to the location and the love and support they provide for one another.

Get in Touch

Spaces are still available this Summer for outdoor Maternity Photography at a range of locations across Somerset. Head to my contact page to inquire and book yours today.

Find out More

If you’d like to know more about Maternity Photography why not check out these featured blog posts

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