As a Stockton-based maternity photographer, I have photographed many gorgeous pregnant women. I have found that during each session, I am sharing many tips to help my clients elevate their photos. These are simple ways to help take your images and session to the next level and flatter yourself in the process. I wanted to share my top 5 easy maternity posing tips to help you prepare for your maternity photography session.

1. Breathe through your mouth

A super simple way to elevate your photos! When you breathe through your mouth, you relax your jaw and can evoke a more natural facial expression. Breathing through your mouth can also help you relax your entire body, which translates to more natural body posture in the images.

2. Keep one hand on your belly at all times

When you keep one hand on your belly at all times, it helps to provide shape to your belly. This is very flattering for the images and maintain the attention and context of the session being a maternity one!

3. Elongate your neck when possible

Elongating your neck will help to avoid your neck scrunching during photos. This can be especially helpful when looking down. I recommend that instead of looking down with your entire head, you elongate your neck and look down with your eyes.

4. Add Movement

Movement adds something very special to images! Swaying, rubbing your belly, tossing your hair back and forth and moving your head and the direction you are looking all add another dimension to your photos that you will love in the final results.

5. Pop that leg and point those toes

When standing, pop the leg closest to the photographer and point your toes. This will create a flattering curve. While sitting, point your toes as well. These simple changes will take your photos to the next level!

These are all simple things anyone can do to elevate their maternity photos! I recommend practicing all these in the mirror prior to your session. Practicing can help you feel more comfortable in the moment and see the difference these posing tips can make in accentuating your bump and flattering yourself during your session.

Nicole is a Stockton, California based lifestyle, family photographer available for travel in Northern California, including the greater Sacramento and San Joaquin areas, who specializes in authentically capturing the beautiful connection you share with your family. Nicole harnesses beautiful light in gorgeous locations to create an enjoyable session experience that showcases your family’s natural and joyful connections.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist and mother of three young children, Nicole prides herself on building lasting relationships and helping make you and your family feel comfortable in front of the camera. Nicole understands the importance of capturing these precious and fleeting moments as organically as possible to be valued for years to come. If you’re interested in booking a maternity session, you can do so by completing the form here.