Maternity Photos + What to Wear, Tips & More

Happy Wednesday y’all! I am so excited to share some of my favorite shots from our maternity photos! You’d think taking photos & sharing them on a weekly basis would make this like any other photo session, but for some reason I struggled prepping myself for these photos. Fatigue, boating, physical changes, etc, were working against me the week we shot these, but we pushed through & I am so glad we did.

In case you’re expecting & having the same feelings when it comes to taking maternity photos, I thought I would share some tips for taking them, ideas for what to wear & more!

*photos by Claire Singleton

Tips for Taking Maternity Photos:

• Just do them. I was reallyyyyy not feeling like taking these photos. Let’s be honest, your body doesn’t feel your own, your experiencing all the physical changes & more than likely you don’t feel like your best self. I knew if we didn’t take any that I would regret it, so I powered through & am so glad I did.
• Find a photographer you trust & are comfortable with. We’ve worked with Claire for several years now (she’s done our Christmas card photos the past few years, & she shot our pregnancy announcement + gender reveal!), and she just gets us. I love, love, love her ability to get those spur of the moment shots that don’t feel staged. Take the photo above for instance. Looking at this photo nearly makes me cry, because it feels so much like us. This feels like our relationship in a photo & I’m so grateful for Claire & her gift! These photos feel so much more intimate than other sessions we’ve done with her & having someone we’re at ease with helped the situation so much.
• Make them “you”. I knew I didn’t want half naked photos of my bump, I didn’t want any overly cheesy bump pictures, and communicated that to Claire up front! Those types of photos just aren’t me, & that’s okay! They can be whatever you want them to be, just capture this sweet time in your life.
• Do what you gotta do to make yourself look & feel your best! For me, that meant taking time to perfect my makeup & adding some false lashes (these are my foolproof favorites!). Like I mentioned before, I was just not feeling like being photographed, but once I got my face & hair done I felt much more ready!
• Add a little more makeup than you’re used to. Trust me on this! It might feel weird in the moment, but it will make your features pop so much more in the photos. Linking the makeup I used below!
• Don’t wait too long! We shot these at the end of my second trimester & it was the perfect time to do so. Plus it is one less thing to worry about when you’re on the home stretch of the 3rd trimester.

What to Wear for Maternity Photos:

• Pieces that make you feel GOOD!! For me, that means accentuating the bump a little bit. From where I’m just 5’2″, I feel like I have to be careful wearing pieces that make me look like I’m wearing a tent. This ribbed dress was the perfect option, it’s so flattering in my opinion. It’s not maternity, so I sized up to a medium.
• Be a little extra! If that’s your vibe. We wanted to switch things up a bit & shoot two looks, so my baby shower dress was a top contender. When else can you rock a full on sequin dress?! I love this dress so much, and IDK when I’ll have another excuse to wear it so it was a no brainer to wear for these photos.

What I Wore for Maternity Photos:

My Maternity Photo Shoot Makeup:

Want more pregnancy content?!

2nd Trimester Recap // 5 Bump Friendly Outfits to Wear into Fall // Favorite Pregnancy Lotions // Nursery Inspo Board // 1st Trimester Recap