This season of life is short-lived (maternity) which is why it’s so important to document it! Enter Maternity Sessions, right?! I absolutely love these sessions because these incredible women are producing LIFE. This is also why it’s so important to get the posing down. Today we’re diving into maternity photoshoot poses!

I’ve also got a free class just for you! It’s called “Keys to Effective Family Posing, Goodbye Awkward & Stiff!” We break down some key posing techniques to capture those natural and genuine moments. Posing can often make or break your session. It can help your clients feel comfortable or out of place. Jump in this free class and fine tune your posing! Now onto the maternity photoshoot poses…

Golden Rule

Always, always, always have one hand on the belly! Whether that’s mom or dad be sure there’s a connection point. I like to shoot anywhere between 32-36 weeks because they have a nice round belly and usually don’t go into labor this early! Now depending on who is all in the session I try getting shots of just mom, mom and dad and if there are kids include them in the belly poses too.

Posing Just Mom

I like posing mom with both hands around the belly. The hand closest to the photographer should be on the bottom. Her arm seen should be elongated while the arm not fully seen is resting on top. Have mama think about how soon she will be holding that sweet babe. Get pictures of her looking up, looking down and finally smiling at you. Another tip is if mom is wearing a long flowing dress have her wisp it into the air while holding her belly! Then I bring dad in.

Mom and Dad

An easy place for him to go is to come from behind with his hands on the belly. Not that awkward prom pose, but bring him in close. You can have him kiss mamas head, have them look at you, swap one looking at the belly while the other is looking at you, etc. There’s really a lot of variations you can get while changing up composition too! I love getting close ups in the mix of those. One thing I love is having mom and dad facing each other. This way the belly is in the middle with everyones’ hands on the belly! Lastly, go ahead and have them walking with mom’s hand on the belly.

Siblings

One of my favorites is having the siblings kiss the belly! Of course you can bring them in on any of the above poses. I like having the siblings join mom and dad as their walking. And there is something so sweet about siblings hands on mama’s belly. Maybe it’s because we know the newest little one will one day be just as big as the siblings, but those are keepsake photos for sure!

Remember a maternity photoshoot poses are about the belly. The focal point is that new life that’s coming and how sweet the current season is. Keep the attention there and let the poses showcase your client’s personalities!

More Resources

+ Keys to Effective Family Posing Free Class