Maternity Photoshoot Location – Studio or Outdoor – Pros & Cons

You’re excitedly and anxiously awaiting the arrival of your sweet baby! It won’t be long now until you’re holding your little one in your arms. Now is the time to celebrate YOU! You’ll want to look back and remember your bump, and life before baby, whether this is your first or your fifth.

One of the decisions you’ll need to make when you’re ready to book your maternity photoshoot is whether you’d prefer your images to be taken in the studio, or outdoors in nature. Here we’ll take a look at some of the pros and cons of each to help you make the best decision for you!

Maternity Photoshoot in Studio

One of the obvious benefits of a studio session, especially here in Canada and the Durham Region, is the climate-controlled environment! If your mood is heavily influenced by the temperature and the weather, you might want to consider a studio session, depending on the time of year. Maternity sessions are generally done between 28-32 weeks, so count it out and see if that will be peak summer, or the dead of winter, and plan accordingly!

A studio maternity photoshoot is great if you would like to try a variety of wardrobe options. I have a selection of items available in the studio, and always provide a list of potential items for you to bring as well. Studio sessions are fun to experiment with clothing options and different lighting, from standard to dramatic.

Speaking of lighting, with studio lights I can move that light around and use various modifiers to shape the light and create flattering highlights and shadows to show off or hide your favourite or least favourite parts. I am all about body positivity, but I also know how to use light and posing to our advantage.

If you have children in the baby-to-toddler age range that you would like to include in your maternity photoshoot, the studio is not always an easy place to keep them engaged in the actual photo-taking. They are going to want to explore the space, and standing on the backdrop with you might be the least interesting thing in the room to them (sorry, but you know it’s true!) That said, I’m pretty much always able to get a couple of cute photos with your little one, however, if you want them in the majority of the images, an outdoor session may be the way to go.

Maternity Photoshoot Outdoors

To be honest outdoor maternity photoshoots are my favourite. I just love golden hour and the beautiful light it creates, and the natural flow of outdoor sessions. We can use much broader prompts vs precise poses, which might allow you to feel more at ease, if you’re worried about posing and how you look in front of the camera. That is also a totally normal feeling though, most people feel at least a little bit nervous having their photo taken no matter where it is, myself included!

If you have little ones that will be joining you for this session, outdoors is a great option. They can explore the environment, we can play games like races, I Spy, Red Light Green Light, or have you and your partner swing them between you as you’re walking – I’ve never met a kid that didn’t love to swing!

Outdoors we also have the option of creating a beautiful silhouette image. Cross your fingers for a spectacular sunset! Though even a blue sky can make a pretty silhouette too, it’s pretty special when we get interesting cloud formations and those bright cotton candy colours.

What All Maternity Photoshoots Have in Common

Planning Together

When you schedule your maternity session with me, I’ll always send you a brief questionnaire or have a quick chat so I can learn about your vision for your photos, and so we can create a plan. I’ll suggest locations I think will work best, and I can help you with wardrobe options, whether we’re renting a gown (included in most of my collections) or choosing something more casual from your own wardrobe.

Common Concerns

As our bodies change during pregnancy, I have many women ask about minimizing things like double chins, stretch marks, cellulite, pale skin, and extra lumps and bumps created by clothing indentations. Whether it’s done in-camera or afterwards in editing, I can take care of any/all of these concerns for you! Most will be done automatically without the need to request it, but for things like stretch marks, and body modifications, you will have the choice in how far we go with anything like that, and there will never be any judgement on my end.

I’m here to deliver images from your maternity photoshoot that you’re proud to display in your home, and look back on fondly once your kids are grown.

More Information About Maternity Photoshoots

 I would absolutely love to be your maternity photographer! You can view more samples of my work and learn more about these sessions over on my main MATERNITY PAGE.

If you’re looking for more inspo on what to wear for your maternity photoshoot, check out my PINTEREST page for some ideas.