Introduction
pregnancy pictures• About the Guide
pregnancy picturesThe Basics
pregnancy photography• How to Prepare
Pregnancy tips• Wardrobe

Elements of Posing
maternity photography guide• Posture
Pregnancy tips• Arching
Pregnancy tipsWalkthrough - posture
Pregnancy tips• Gaze
Pregnancy tips• Expression
Pregnancy tips• The Leg Up

Pregnancy photography• Best Foot Forward
belly pics• The Crossover
belly picsWalkthrough the Crossover

Pregnancy photography• Finding a Pose
belly pics• Placement of Hands

Maternity Posing Ideas
pregnancy• The Cradled Belly
maternity• The Proud Mom
belly picsWalkthrough - Proud Mom
belly pics• The Seated Triangle
Pregnancy tips• Just the Belly
Pregnancy photography• The Hands of Love
Pregnancy photography• Over the Belly
Pregnancy tips• Peek-a-boo
Pregnancy tips• The Open Shirt
Couples:
Pregnancy tips• Face to Face
Pregnancy photography• The Kiss
belly picsWalkthrough - Couples
Pregnancy tips• The Bump
Pregnancy tips• Prom Gone Wrong

Pregnancy tips• Dad & the Belly
Posing with Kids:
Pregnancy tips• Holding the Sibling
Pregnancy photography• Bribes & Trickery
Pregnancy tips• The Sibling & the Belly
Pregnancy tips• The Juggling Act
Pregnancy tips• Dad & the Belly
Pregnancy tipsWalkthrough with children

The Camera Angle
nude pregnancy portraits• The Profile
nude pregnancy portraits• Straight On
nude pregnancy portraits• 3/4 View
nude pregnancy portraits• From Above
nude pregnancy portraits• From Below

Creatiing a Progression
nude pregnancy portraits• How to take a progression


The Maternity Silhouette
nude pregnancy portraits• Rules of the Silhouette

Nude and Semi-Nude
nude maternity photography• The Pregnant Nude
nude pregnancy portraits• Working with Fabrics
nude maternity photography• Coverage I
nude pregnancy portraitsWalkthrough - Coverage
nude pregnancy portraits• Coverage II
nude pregnancy portraits• Coverage for Couples
nude pregnancy portraits• The Demi
nude pregnancy portraits• The Seated Nude
nude pregnancy portraits• The Sweep
nude pregnancy portraitsWalkthrough - Swept Fabric
nude pregnancy portraits• The Horizontal Nude

Photographing yourself
nude pregnancy portraits• What you will need
nude pregnancy portraits• Settings

7 Common Problems with Maternity Portraits
maternity posing ideas• Backdrop Trouble
maternity posing ideas• On Camera Flash
belly pics• Harsh Lighting
maternity portraits• The Window Dilemma
maternity portraits• Lost in the Background

maternity portraits• Unflattering Wardrobe
maternity portraits• Overprocessing

maternity portraitsWalkthrough - Processing

 

Katsoulis Photography of Boston

The Illustrated Guide to Pregnancy Photography is now available for the iPad, and Kindle. The guide is filled with over three hundred pages of beautiful, instructive photographs, in-depth walkthroughs, galleries and more, demonstrating how to get great pregnancy portraits.

Katsoulis Photography of Boston

This guide is brought to you by Katsoulis Photography of Massachusetts. Gregory Katsoulis has been creating professional maternity portraits for over 10 years.

If you are looking for more ideas, please visit my online gallery of maternity photography, showcasing some of my best work.

If you find this guide helpful, please link to us from your blog, website or message board. You should also feel free to drop us a line and share your best pictures! guide@momphoto.com


Facebook Maternity

Coverage II

Maternity Portrait PosesA more flexible and less revealing pose is to drape one arm across the breasts, so that the forearm is providing most of the coverage. (See left.) It is a protective gesture. As a result, it tends to be a more comfortable place to begin. It also frees up one hand so the mom-to-be may place it on her belly, creating a variation on the cradled belly pose.

This method provides a good amount of coverage, though it will take a bit of work to get the angle of the arm right. You want to make sure the far hand is providing the coverage it should. This can take some time, especially if the mom-to-be is well-endowed, because one breast or the other may get smooshed in place. It is important to try to keep placement as relaxed and natural as possible.

To keep your photographs tasteful and discreet, the mom-to-be should be covered from your point of view. What matters is what shows on camera and, specifically, in the final photograph. This may mean extra work, but it also gives you and your subject a greater range of options.

Professional Pregnancy PortraitsProfessional Pregnancy Portraits
Professional Pregnancy PortraitsProfessional Pregnancy Portraits

In the photos above, the model's left arm and hand provide coverage. The clearer placement of the model's right hand makes the pose work much better. It is very subtle, but if you look closely at her right shoulder, you will find it is more relaxed in the third image, which improves the overall feel of the pose.

 

Professional Pregnancy PortraitsProfessional Pregnancy PortraitsProfessional Pregnancy PortraitsProfessional Pregnancy Portraits

Moving the arm higher allows the forearm, rather than the hand, to cover the far breast.

pregnant nudepregnant nudepregnant nudepregnant nude

Looking directly into the camera can be difficult, especially with nude or semi-nude materntiy photography, because few women are 100% comfortable with posing nude. Having your mom-to-be look down, away or close her eyes is often a better, choice. This is especially true if you are working with low key lighting, where the subject's face is in shadow, and her gaze would not be seen.

 

Professional Pregnancy PortraitsProfessional Pregnancy PortraitsProfessional Pregnancy PortraitsProfessional Pregnancy PortraitsProfessional Pregnancy Portraits

Another method that can work is having the mom-to-be place her hands in a "sleep position." In the series above, the first photo does not look quite right. While it provides coverage, pointing the hands straight upwards tends give the appearance of prayer, which is usually not a good mix with nudity. If the mom-to-be simply tucks her hands back, it reads much better. Closed eyes and clasping of hands can work as well, as shown in the final three photos above.

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