Summer In-Home Maternity Photography in Portland

families

Feb 14

This sweet at home maternity session was my favorite kind of laid back session. We shot at their house and used all the rooms with light and then we ventured into the backyard. In-home photographs are sometimes easier because you don’t have to fight the crowds or try and work around people; they are also great cause almost always we can also use some outside spaces that work just as well as a park.

Here are 5 tips for a great in-home maternity session:

DON’T STRESS! things don’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. the house doesn’t need to be perfectly clean or picked up. it can be really special to capture your space exactly as it is and if i need to move things around a bit to get the shot, i will do it in the moment. some of my favorite pictures of my mom was when she was pregnant and standing int he messy kitchen of our old house—there are our old dishes int he sink and things scattered on the counters and i love being able to see all the old relics in the photo. remember: everything will one day be vintage, it just takes awhile…
WEAR SOMETHING YOU FEEL GOOD IN. wear clothes that you love; that you feel comfortable in; that you like the way you look in. it can be a great idea to snap a few pics of yourself before the day (with your phone) just to make sure you like what you are wearing. i find that especially with sessions at home, its better to go casual: wear something that makes you feel at home. in terms of colors, i usually have people stay away from dark, solid colors.
BE PREPARED TO USE ALL OF YOUR SPACE. when i get to a home, i generally do a walk through to see which rooms have good light and which ones might be good for making photographs in. sometimes its a random space and we just need a corner and a bit of light. we may also use the front porch, the backyard or the front street to keep the shots interesting.
INCLUDE PETS! adding pets to the mix can be a great way to keep a session fun and full of life.
KEEP THE LIGHT IN MIND. the best time to take photos is usually 1-2 after sunrise and 1-2 before sunset, however, if we doing an in-home session, we can be more flexible with the timing.