How to make a Maternity Photoshoot look editorial
Before starting my Maternity & Family photography business, I was a Fashion & Beauty photographer for over 15 years.
The thing I looooved photographing the most were fashion or beauty editorials. The planning, the intentional crafting, element by element... It's a beautiful, throughly enchanting, incredibly creative process. I was published in Vogue, ELLE, Marie Claire, L'Officiel & many more high end fashion magazines.
Now I love to use my past experience to produce Family & Maternity photography that holds the same intentionality, elegance and emotion.
Here below are a few tips I use to elevate my Norfolk Maternity Photography from simple documentation to artful, magazine-worthy maternity images.
1. Mood Board first
📌 In 15 years as a Fashion photographer, I've NEVER stepped into a shoot without having made a mood board first (or three!).
You can curate a visual mood board using platforms like Pinterest or simply Photoshop. Include poses, lighting, wardrobe and other references of what you're hoping to achieve, or even consider creating a mood board for each of these elements.
It will help you have a strong vision for the images you’re wanting to create, so you end up with solid, cohesive results that hit the nail on the head every single time.
2. Styling styling styling!
👗 Think elegant silhouettes, rich textures, and flowy fabrics. Gowns with dramatic trains, chic bodysuits, or minimalist tailored dresses all photograph beautifully. Choose according to your photographic style.
Whatever you choose, it's mandatory for colours to work in harmony with the location and with what everyone else appearing in the images is wearing. As a photographer, it’s a good idea to study how to style a family so you can advise your clients. More on this later!
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3. Lighting is queen
📷 Now, you know I love soft & golden light for a dreamy glow. But that's never your only choice. Harsh light can be just as beautiful and create a dramatic, high fashion effect. And you can absolutely mix the two in the same shoot!
Whether your shoot is at midday or sunset, careful and intentional use of light is paramount.
Think carefully about where highlights and shadows are falling, and whether they enhance your subject's beauty or detract from it. Think about using light creatively (behind the subject to shine through a see-through dress, from the side to highlight a dramatic silhouette…)
An incredible shot is made of different elements that all need to work well together, but I like to think of lighting as the glue that holds them all together. You can have great styling and location, but with bad lighting the shot will still fall apart.
PS: Photographer, you don't need to take 1000 shots in the first 10 mins of your session.
Take a moment to test! Have your subject pose at different angles/spots and determine what light works best.
4. Posing With Purpose
📌 Contrarily to popular belief, editorial posing doesn't necessarily have to be super-dramatic. 36-weeks pregnant ladies will be relieved to hear :)
Think of getting into elongated, elegant poses (arches, standing tall, chin forward). Use movement like walking or flowing fabric tosses for dynamic energy.
Clients - don’t be afraid to practice poses and posture in the mirror (long neck, shoulders back, soft hands). Professional models do it too!
5. Location choice
🌇 Locations matter - to a certain extent. Whereas no one would ever turn down a visually striking spot, you can certainly create outstanding editorial images in simple, accessible places (which, let’s face it, are ideal for taking pregnant mamas to).
Beauty can be found anywhere. Think modern architecture, elegant interiors, urban minimalism, or natural landscapes with strong lines. Most importantly, avoid cluttered backgrounds, and always ensure there's a sense of connection between the subject, their wardrobe and the location of choice.
Flowy cream dress at the arcades? I don't think so! The same outfit in a rapeseed field? Yes, please!
6. Color palette & tonal harmony
🎨 Aim for cohesive, intentional tones that work well within the location. I personally love earthy tones, which need to be edited with consistency, avoiding over-saturation.
Avoid distracting patterns in the wardrobe or proprs unless they serve the editorial vibe. The viewer's eye should immediately fall on emotion, colours and shapes within the image, not linger too much on an intricate shirt pattern!
7. Emotion + Elegance
📷 The aim here is to capture emotive expressions. Think soft smiles, introspective gazes, strong stances. Editorial is as much about mood as it is about beauty.
Pregnant mamas - all you need to do is connect to the moment. Think of how they feel about your journey. That authenticity shows in camera and keeps the editorial look from feeling too “posed.”
8. Retouching with a light hand
📷 Use high-end retouching techniques (like a healthy mix of healing + dodge & burn) to smooth skin without overly airbrushing. Remember to preserve skin texture, natural curves and emotion like your life depends on it.
Carefully remove distracting elements in the foreground and background. This will help focus the viewer's attention onto the main scene.
Whatever you do, remember that the goal is editorial sophistication, not plastic perfection!
Have you tried capturing editorial maternity images?
Do you have questions or anything you'd like to add to the list?
Tell me in the comments :)
Love,
Rose Sol x
