This week I want to talk all about this wonderful at home maternity portrait session in Chepstow, South Wales. Janine, Tim & their wonderful three year old Oscar welcomed me into their home to help them celebrate this wonderful time for their family!
Before our session I had a chance to have a lovely chat with Janine so we could get to know one another and talk about what she wanted to get out of her portrait session with me. Like SO many of the Mothers I work with she told me she was nervous about getting in front of the camera, uncomfortable with the thought of having to pose and worried her son wouldn't enjoy the experience.
Now that we've created her maternity portraits, I think she would agree she needn't have worried about ANY of that!
Here's the thing. Yes I want to give you beautiful and timeless portraits of your pregnancy BUT I want the experience to be so much more than just the finished product! I want you to enjoy the experience itself. Which is exactly why I love really getting to know my clients. As Janine had told me her concerns I was sure to keep this all in mind during our time together.
Instead of rushing through our time and banging out the shots...we sat for a bit, had a nice chat and enjoyed a lovely cup of tea (ten out of ten for that brew Janine, it was very much appreciated!)
Not only did this help Tim and Janine relax with me and feel comfortable with me but most importantly it helped Oscar get to know me. I asked him all about superheroes as Janine had told me what a fan he was of Spiderman! Oscar was so excited to tell me all about the superheroes he knew and was very proud to introduce me to his Wolverine action figure...which actually makes a small cameo in one of the maternity portraits!
This was all before I even got my camera out of my bag! We set the tone for the session, chill chill chill! We took Oscars lead and I captured some lovely sweet moments between this little superstar and his growing family. I'm sure he's going to be a fabulous big brother as he was so affectionate with Mummy's bump. Ah! Makes my heart full!
As for Janine being nervous about getting in front of my camera and posing...I never force people to pose as I know how awkward it feels and comes across in an image. I get it! I'm the same, put me in FRONT of a camera and I'm a deer in headlights! Instead I would simply ask Janine and her boys to stand in a certain place so I could get the best of our light. I would ask Janine to maybe look in a certain direction, ask Tim to cuddle up to his beautiful wife and occasionally ask Oscar if he could hear baby in Mummy's tummy.
Mainly though I liked to ask questions about their journey as parents. What where they excited about? How does Oscar feel about becoming a big brother? Just keeping this family talking about baby made for organic smiles and warm interactions with each other, which make for love filled portraits!
All in all we had a lovely, relaxed time together and I'm so grateful that this wonderful, sweet family invited me into their home. I'm so excited for them to be growing their family and I'm thrilled for this baby as they are coming into a home full of love!
Bonus! Here's a sweet note from Janine about her maternity session and portraits...
"Sarah is such a gifted photographer, nothing is forced and the photos are so natural. Bonus points as my toddler said she is a “lovely lady” and he’s not the easiest to please! She’s patient and very approachable. Definitely recommended by our family! Thank you Sarah xxx"
If you would like to know more about a documentary style maternity portrait session in South Wales or the surrounding areas you can now download my full maternity guide on this page!