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Photographer’s How To: Baby Bump Shooting Tips + Giveaway

This post on maternity photography tips is brought to you by your fellow photo lovers at Shutterfly. They encourage you to capture your memories and share your amazing pictures the way you want with their New Custom Path photo books.

Even though my pregnancies were anything but easy, bed rest and weekly ultra sounds for starters, when I reminisce about each one I still get a little lump in my throat and my heart soars a bit. The entire birthing process is nothing short of amazing which is why the maternal bond develops long before baby arrives. Photographing your baby bump is a special way to capture that pregnancy glow so that you can not only remember how you looked and felt pregnant, but also to share it with your unborn child. It is so cute when my children look at me in amazement when I show them photos of my big round belly and I tell them that they were safely growing inside.

San Francisco based photographer Lindsey Stafford knows a thing or two about capturing the joy of pregnancy. She has been photographing baby bumps all over the bay area for many years and after a quick look at some of her work you can feel how the energy and happiness of her clients jump out of the photos. She has an eye for interesting settings and uses light to showcase the essence of her subjects. Lindsey also specializes in newborn and family photo sessions but she just loves to work with the pregnant mama to get those great shots of the “baby bump”. Lindsey was generous enough to share with us her favorite tips for a successful maternity photo shoot.

Top tips for a successful baby bump photography session according to Lindsey:

1. GOAL: Capture this special time in your life in a natural, fresh, comfortable and fun way. Family members are encouraged to join in (especially the kids) if they like and colorful outfits are highly recommended! I like to bring a creative surprise to each shoot – especially if you know if you are having a boy or girl and also have a name picked out.

2. TIMING: I recommend scheduling your baby bump shoot sometime around 28-32 weeks – perfect timing to show off your belly before you won’t feel like showing it off anymore.

3. OUTFITS: Color & comfort is my motto. Pattern is also a good thing to add an element of pop to a photo. I often tell families to pick 3-4 colors that tie everyone together and the same goes for a baby bump shoot – An example: navy, turquoise, yellow and lime green. Sometimes we even incorporate the colors of the nursery as a starting point. I also recommend wearing something more on the form-fitting side – a dress, a long skirt with a fitted tank, statement necklace, and a bright cardigan. We want to see the bump but also be comfortable doing it. Comfort translates through the camera in an extremely good way.

4. LOCATION: I prefer to shoot with natural light and with a couple of locations in mind either early in the day or closer to sunset to capture the best light possible. I love shooting a mommy-to-be against a cool warehouse, brick, or cement wall to focus on the baby-to-be. In addition, I love going to a beautiful more scenic setting like San Francisco’s Chrissy Field or Cavallo Point especially when the family and kids are involved. One of my favorite parts of shooting a mom with a baby on the way is capturing the happy moments with family, especially the excitement of a big brother or sister.

I want to thank Lindsey for sharing her expertise and incredibly helpful professional photography tips! Her work is so joyful and fun and I love how she uses pops of color. Weather its a baby bump, newborn or energetic family, Lindsey knows how to capture all those precious moments and you can learn more about Lindsey Stafford Photography by checking out her blog. Our friends at Shutterfly believe it’s important that your baby bump should be photographed to share for many years to come  in one of their amazing new custom photo books! They are great fun to put together and even more thrilling to go back to again and again. Just ask Project Nursery reader Rebecca who recently completed her own custom bump book and is letting us share with you a peak below!

GIVEAWAY ALERT! The first 5 readers to comment below on how you will or how did you capture your baby bump in photos win a free 20-page 8×8 photo book with hard cover. Taxes, shipping and handling charge will apply. Offer does not include premium licensed photo books, leather, or padded covers. Good Luck!

Alice Carroll

Thursday 11th of March 2021

It's helpful that you mentioned that 28-32 weeks into the pregnancy is the best time to hire a maternity photography service. My sister is currently planning for that but she still on her 24th week, if I remember correctly. I guess she still has a month to prepare the design concept for the photoshoot.

Photography Tips: Getting The Most out of the Maternity Shoot – My Blog

Sunday 9th of February 2020

[…] How to take great pregnancy pictures – even if “only” daddy is the photographer 😉 See: projectnursery.co… […]

Eldrina Mich

Monday 10th of July 2017

I love kids and i have two sons and one beautiful daughter. I still wonder if i could go back to time and capture those moments when i was pregnant. We are planning to have another baby and this time i won't miss it. Thank you for sharing this article, it will surely help.

Dphotofolio

Tuesday 22nd of November 2016

Those are some beautiful pregnancy photos. Thanks for tips.

Natasha Wilton

Tuesday 7th of June 2016

4_tips Makes the hole things so easy for me,Thank you so much love it.