Modern Maternity sessions (as shown in this blog post) are offered through Illume Maternity! Please visit www.illumematernity.com if you are interested in exploring this type of session for your maternity portraits.
Alayna was referred to us by two of her good friends who have worked with us, and came into the studio for a very last minute fine art maternity shoot at 37 weeks pregnant! She added on hair and makeup services, which we highly recommend for the ultimate luxury experience and for the best photos!
Makeup for this type of session is best applied by a highly skilled professional who has an understanding of studio light and editorial work. Please do NOT go to the makeup counter at the mall or have a friend who is “pretty good” do it, or attempt to create a glam look that you’ve never done before with a YouTube tutorial. If there was ever a time to invest in having your hair and/or makeup done, this is it. Our HMUA team is comprised of amazing women with vast experience working on production/commercial sets, and they are skilled with all skin tones - including women of color.
Just as a note: we really don’t suggest waiting until 37 weeks to schedule your session since you never know when babies will decide to make their appearance, but in this case everything worked out and baby boy stayed inside!
THE BOOKING PROCESS
Our fine art maternity sessions are photographed in our intown Atlanta studio with studio lighting. No natural light is used, and they are scheduled over a 90 minute-2 hour block. In contrast, our natural light (non newborn) portrait sessions are scheduled for a one hour block. The additional time is to allow plenty of time for changing the lighting setups and for our mamas to change. Since we are not reliant on natural light, our fine art session start time is much more flexible than our natural light studio sessions. We can schedule for later evening hours after you’re off of work. It’s important to only schedule a late session as long as you know you won’t be tired in the evening from your day! Currently, we only shoot ONE session per day in the studio to allow for our COVID sanitation protocols, so please don’t wait until the last minute to try and book as we may not have availability for you. Most of our clients reach out to us when they’re at the beginning of their second trimester to get a session scheduled between 26-32 weeks of pregnancy. We want you to have a nice round belly but still be able to move well before you become encumbered by it.
Once you have connected with us and selected a date from what we have open, everything else is handled online in a secure and streamlined process. We’ll also send over a short list of what you should bring along with you to your session and directions to our studio location. We’re located right on the Beltline next to two.urban.licks. We’re just down from Ponce City Market, and our studio is really easy to get to! There is a free parking lot available as well as street parking if the lot happens to be full.
WHAT’S NEXT: YOUR PRE SESSION CONSULTATION
Why do we require a pre-session meeting? Because over the past 8 years we have found that clients who have spent some time with me (face to face or virtually!) before stepping in front of my camera are WAY more comfortable right out of the gate on their session day because I’m not a total stranger they’ve just met for the first time! This is especially true for fine art maternity where you may be wearing next to nothing for part or most of it.
We will schedule a time meet in advance of your session - either in person here at the studio or virtually via Zoom or FaceTime. We have a lot of clients that drive to us from far away (90+ minutes) and sometimes from the neighboring states of Florida, the Carolinas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, so an in person meeting isn’t always possible! Many clients do bring a few of their own things to wear, and our studio has a limited wardrobe of bodycon dresses and crop tops, bodysuits that can accommodate a pregnant belly, bandeau bras, and tulle gowns. We also have beautiful Italian silk fabrics for draping and tossing in mostly neutral colors. Our studio wardrobe is complimentary to our booked clients, and is well loved. If you choose to schedule an in person meeting with me, you’ll be able to see and try on our pieces. If you’re planning on wearing anything of your own, you’ll bring that along with you as well, and we’ll design your session flow together!
During our meeting, we will discuss your vision for your maternity session. My clients have varying preferences and desires when it comes to the types of images they want. I have some that really want fine art nudes/implied nudes mixed in with strategic hand placement covering the breasts, and others prefer to be clothed the entire time with just the belly showing. Some clients really love the look of fabric draping and want to incorporate a few of those, and others don’t. The choice is ultimately yours!
I’ll also ask your preference for the studio temperature during your session since that also varies between clients as well. I want you to be comfortable in every aspect while you are here!
CAN MY HUSBAND/CHILDREN PARTICIPATE?
While the majority of our clients choose to be the only participant for their fine art maternity sessions, your partner is more than welcome. Children can be included in a couple of images but should only be present in the studio for the time they are in photos. Because of all the specialized equipment that is set up and the length of the session, it’s not possible for them to be here in the studio for all of it. Most families who want a family focused maternity session find our natural light sessions to be a better fit.
YOUR FINE ART MATERNITY SESSION: WHAT TO EXPECT
I’ve been photographing pregnant women for over 8 years now and truly LOVE it. When you arrive to the studio for your session, you’ll change into a robe that you’ve brought with you and you’ll be prepped by one of our amazing HMUA’s if you’ve chosen to add on services like Alayna. Everything in the studio will already be set up and ready to go when you’re finished with hair and makeup prep!
Once you’re finished, you’ll change into your first outfit. All your outfits will be lined up and ready to go based on the roadmap that we created during your pre session consult so there’s no wondering what to put on or wasting time.
If you’re feeling a bit nervous about not knowing what to do, don’t stress! I will walk you through everything during your session - from how and where to stand, to how much to tilt your head, and I’ll also coach you on your facial expressions! Our fine art sessions are much more geared towards what I like to call “power” posing. You will look strong, confident, and beautiful. Mothers are a force to be reckoned with, and these images are going to combine that strength with the beauty and femininity of your pregnancy. If you’re having difficulty being verbally coached, I’ll whip out one of my clear masks so you can see my entire face for demonstration purposes! I promise that you will never be left handing and awkwardly trying to figure out what to do next.
In total honesty: if you’ve never had a session with studio lighting, it will most likely feel intimidating at first. Our lighting is on wheeled stands with large modifiers on boom arms. Once you’ve gotten used to it all, it won’t take you long to start having fun! After the first lighting set, you’ll find that you’ll get into your groove and you’ll have learned what to do from my prompts or adjustments.
We will take breaks throughout for you to get some water, a snack, restroom break, or just to sit down for a second. If you need anything, all you have to do is let me know. We’ll pick right back up whenever you’re ready to resume!
Alayna was pretty nervous at first since this was her first time ever doing a session like this. If that’s you too, don’t worry: that’s the case for almost all of our fine art/editorial maternity clients, so you’re in good company! She looked absolutely STUNNING with her hair and makeup, and was excited to get started. We created some absolutely gorgeous images with a mix of her pieces and studio wardrobe pieces. She brought her own non-maternity jeans and black lace bra/thong, and used our pieces for everything else in her gallery. Our HMUA stayed for a few minutes to assist with fabric tossing, which took a few attempts to create the perfect image!
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR SESSION
Once your proof gallery is ready, we’ll review the images and you’ll make decisions! One of the images will be fully edited for you as a sample so you can know what to expect. We’ll discuss your specific retouching requests (our most common requests are for stretch mark removal and for very slight body slimming in certain areas). When Alayna saw her final images she absolutely loved them and was so excited to share them with her friends who sent her my way. Those friends also emailed me to express how amazingly beautiful they found the photos, and to thank me for taking good care of her.
It is my opinion that fine art editorial photography is most powerful in black and white. However, your selected final images will come in both color and black and white versions for you!
The majority of our clients end up ordering their favorite image for a piece of wall art (metal and acrylic prints are a favorite for this type of photography) or put them all into a beautiful heirloom album.
If you’re considering a maternity session for yourself, YAY! Firstly, HUGE congratulations!!! This is such an incredibly special time in your life, and it’s such an honor to photograph couples expecting their first, second, third, or seventh child.
I would love for you to contact us to chat about your vision and what we can offer you. We can discuss whether a fine art maternity session with studio lighting is the right fit for you as opposed to our natural light sessions, and answer any questions you have!
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Alayna’s editorial maternity session below! Isn’t she absolutely beautiful?!
If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
