This is the maternity portrait we used to tell the wider world about the arrival of our son Felix. It was a completely spontaneous, the inspiration for it hit me as we were walking back to our car after just finishing another maternity photo session nearby. Ruth often accompanies me on photoshoots to assist and keep an eye on the model’s hair and styling.
Ruth was somewhere around the middle of her Second trimester at the time. She was definitely carrying a bump, but aside from family and close friends, we hadn’t really told anyone and had somehow avoided social gatherings, so no one really knew she was pregnant. It was yet to be Facebook official, so I decided to surprise everyone and wanted to tell the world in the manner I do best.
The natural lighting was perfect on our walk around Beckenham Place Park, the sun was hitting this tree in front of us in such a nice way that I instantly recognised a perfect setup ready and waiting for a shot.
Here’s one of the shots that didn’t quite make the cut, partly because the dress was hanging off the bump and I wanted to get the full roundness of it apparent. Also because I didn’t have my lens hood on initially so I got a major flare visible in the bottom third of the shot. Sometimes I really like the washed out look you get from lense flares, but this time is was obscuring the important detail!
This shot shows more of the surroundings, you can tell by the quality of the light that it’s a scene ripe for a portrait. Again, I was foiled by some hazy lens flare, but fixed with a trusty hood.
The sun worked wonders as a hair light, giving a highlight all around and further accentuating the bump. Re-enforced by this old pregnancy glow everyone tells you about, and with some warming post production and a drop of fill light, I got the shot I wanted and shared it with everyone.
This was of course shot at my last house in Beckenham, however I’ve now relocated to Tunbridge Wells and now offer maternity portrait photography to Kent and east Sussex. If you’re pregnant or know someone who is, get in touch to discuss your pregnancy session and we can talk ideas.