Pregnancy is one of the most Magical and exciting times of your life as a woman. Everything is changing and your body is preparing to grow another life. I personally am fascinated by how wonderful our bodies are and capturing it is a beautiful way to honour your journey into Motherhood and show your little ones when they grow up.

As an Adelaide Maternity Photographer I have had the pleasure of capturing countless baby bumps and one of the most common questions I get asked is; When Should I Book My Maternity Photoshoot? Let's talk about that ideal timeframe for booking and why timing really does matter!


Timing does Matter

The Best Time To Book A Maternity Photoshoot is between 28-36 weeks gestation. Generally by this stage the bump is lovely and round and prominent. Most expectant mums still have the energy to move around and feel fairly comfortable to enjoy the whole experience. Even if you don't feel you have the Glow don't worry we will definitely capture some MAGIC during your session. First time mums may not show till later and mums carrying twins/multiples should consider booking earlier at around 24-28 weeks.

All bumps are beautiful and it is important to remember that no two bumps will look or feel or even photograph the same, and why would you want them to? It is not about capturing perfection whatever that is, Maternity to Motherhood is a personal experience and each one unique and special. Now is the time to be proud of you and your body, embrace the bump, the scars, the shadows around your belly button, the cracked nipples, the non existent belly button, the stretch marks, the excess hair - whatever it may be, it is perfectly imperfect and natural, just the way mother nature intended. Trust in the process, be patient with your body, you are growing another human, it is ok to not feel like you.

I promise I will do my best to make sure that you feel beautiful and comfortable during your session.

The other important reason to consider this specific window of time is to avoid the risk of early labour, nobody wants to get all dressed up for a Photoshoot and have their waters break mid shoot, totally not ideal!


Booking Ahead

So you have chosen your favourite Adelaide Maternity Photographer, and then by the time you have decided to book the session they are fully booked when you need them...Believe it or not some Photographers in Adelaide are booked out months in advance and have limited availability especially in the warmer months. I only have a handful of sessions I can take per month as I also work a second job throughout the week as well as looking after and spending time with my little boy and hubby. Then there is allowing the time to cull, edit and produce a gallery for delivery in a reasonable timeframe. So there is only so much time to work with. Ideally you should book in a date for your Adelaide Maternity Session when you reach 20 weeks gestation to ensure you don't miss out on a spot. This will give us plenty of time to plan out the location for your session and your styling and wardrobe, I do have a Style Guide to assist in selecting the best outfits for your session. Additionally this gives flexibility in case of poor weather conditions or health concerns that could arise.  


The 4 Seasons

Summer - As a lover of beach sessions I often shoot most of my sessions in Summer, not surprising as we are super lucky in South Australia to have the advantage of Daylight Savings, which means more daylight! Warm, balmy summer nights - Perfect! More specifically I specialise in Golden Hour sessions, that perfectly soft golden sun that shines in the last hour of light before the sun sets over the horizon.


Autumn - A beautiful time of year to shoot, the sunsets are super colourful, the evenings are a little cooler but not freezing and Daylight Savings has ended so that means it's not so late for the little ones to be up for Golden Hour. If you are shooting in the hills or gardens my goodness the Autumn trees are most definitely a sight for sore eyes so many colours and textures!


Winter - Not a huge fan of this season to be honest, unfortunately I don't currently have a Studio to shoot in so this can make shooting in wet weather rather difficult. The upside is the cosy comfy knits and beanies you can bring all the warmth to your session with in your styling. The ideal place to shoot in Winter is the forest. There are so many colours/textures and it has great shelter and coverage to dodge the weather. Plus being cold we avoid the snakes! As a rule I won't shoot in rainy conditions, protecting my equipment is paramount, and who wants a drowned rat anyway!


Spring - Everything is in bloom and all the flowers are producing their best colours, perfect for shooting in and amongst the greens of the gardens. I personally love the vibrant purples of the Jacaranda trees and the Wisteria that wraps around an archway. The temperature can swing between warm and cool so this can make planning a little more challenging. I must admit I absolutely love a cloudy overcast day, this truly makes for some of the best natural lighting conditions, no unpleasant shadows, no squinting, no sun flares - I 100% recommend booking your session on an overcast day.


If you're starting to think about booking Maternity photos in Adelaide I would love to hear from you! You may be 12 weeks or 34 weeks along, it is never too late to book a Maternity Photoshoot, let's talk about how to bring your vision to life.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.


Your Story From My Eyes

Kj

xxx