What to Wear for Maternity Portraits

Posing for maternity portraits is a way for women to celebrate their pregnancies and have a photographic keepsake of their experiences. Portraits of pregnant mothers can range from artistic to traditional, with mothers donning sophisticated clothes that accentuate the pregnant belly or nothing at all.

Regardless of what they wear, maternity photos give pregnant women the opportunity to boost their confidence during a time when they may not feel they look their best. If you ever plan to take maternity photos, consider these five guidelines for the best results on your photo shoot:

v    Considerations Of Personal Style

v    Types Of Clothing

v    Time Frame Of Pregnancy And Due Date

v    Warnings About Clothing Colors

v    Function Of The Photo Shoot

*************************************************************

Considerations Of Personal Style – When considering clothing for maternity photo shoots, it is important for each woman to incorporate her sense of style, level of comfort and types of maternity photos she wants to have. Nude photos tend to be a more artistic photographic representation of pregnancies with a focus on the pregnant belly. More conservative photos tend to consist of a pregnant woman from the belly up or a full body shot. For these, the pregnant woman dons clothes that show off her stomach.

Types Of Clothing – Clothing for maternity photo shoots should be tight-fitting around the belly. Loose and baggy clothes, such as shirts and pants, will only hide the pregnant stomach. Stretch pants and regular style pants that have low waistlines won’t bunch up as the woman is posing or sitting, and are a good idea to wear during a shoot. In addition, tight-fitting tank tops and maternity tops that have thin fabrics that cling to the body are also good choices for maternity portraits.

For pregnant women who want to include their other children in their shoots, they may don a more playful style of clothing. White tank tops accentuate the stomach and have thin fabrics. Casual fitted khaki pants are a good wardrobe choice for these types of shoots.

Time Frame Of Pregnancy And Due Date – A pregnant woman should consider taking maternity photos as far along in her pregnancy as possible. If she does this later in the pregnancy, she will be better able to show off her stomach in the clothing that she wears. The third trimester tends to be the best time to schedule a maternity photo shoot. The belly is extremely visible at this point, and the photographer can capture the fullness of the stomach.

Warnings About Clothing Colors – Keep clothing selections for maternity portraits simple. Stripes and busy patterns can hide the stomach or detract attention away from it. Instead, stick with solid colors. In general, black and white clothing tends to work best. Black and white lingerie can also be used for more artistic shoots.

Function Of The Photo Shoot – The function of maternity photo shoots are to capture the essence and beauty of the pregnancy. Women can also wear tops that show their stomach. Crop tops, half tops and belly shirts also work well.