Celebrating pregnancy and the future birth of a child is a spectacular experience that changes lives. Archiving a mother’s time of carrying a baby through maternity portraits seals the special moment in time for mothers, parents, and your future child. Today’s maternity portrait aesthetic is incredibly free-flowing and can take many forms depending on the style of the photographer and mom to be. When it comes to hair and makeup for shoots, less is more should be a rule of thumb.

Hairstyling Tips

The most essential component of a great hairstyle for maternity shoots is a style that flatters mothers and makes them feel the most comfortable and beautiful. That said, effortless looking hairstyles are never actually effortless, and great looking hair always requires planning, styling, and professional-grade tools. It’s also important to blend your hairstyle of choice with your wardrobe. Soft flowing curls work well and can be worn down at the start of the photoshoot.

The option for a quick up-do should also be planned in advance, especially if you have a high-necked top or dress. An up-do is the best way to go if you are doing a milk bath or water photoshoot. Soft long dresses with a rounded neckline and off-the-shoulder dresses are popular styles for maternity shoots, and flowing hairstyles are stunning companions to these types of wardrobe choices.

If you have a shorter hairstyle, think volume and texture. Flower crowns or a simple beaded headpiece add a nice flair and help to frame the face. No matter what the length or texture of your hair is, pumping up the shine will be captured well in your photos. Getting a trim and deep conditioning with a hair mask will eliminate dead ends and provide your hair with much-needed nourishment that will give it bounce and shine when you style it.

Making an all-natural hair mask could also do the trick. Mixing together a banana or avocado with an egg and a teaspoon of honey supplies hair with natural vitamins. Lightweight finishing serums will give your hair a kick of shine once your hair is styled and will help manage frizz and flyaways.

If your photoshoot is outside or near water, make sure to pack a travel hair kit and choose a style that will also function well in potential heat and humidity. Keep in mind that working with your natural hair will prevent frustration. For example, naturally curly hair may not hold a bone straight look for an entire day of shooting outside or in a pool. Considering a look with curls will likely hold up better under those conditions. For straighter looks that may flatten, bringing along a volumizer will keep hair plumped for an entire day. Hairspray, bobby pins, hair ties, hair sheen, and pomade are a few other essentials that are a must-have onsite at your shoot.

Makeup

In keeping with the less is more theme, makeup for maternity shoots should ultimately be fresh, natural and bring out the natural glow of your skin. Good skincare will bring out your best assets, and going the extra mile to nourish your skin before the photoshoot will enhance your natural glow.

On the day of your shoot, going the extra mile when it comes to your skincare routine and makeup application will produce a stunning end result.

Step 1) Prep: Exfoliation should not be done on the day of your photoshoot. If you have a regular exfoliator that you commonly use, this can be done the night before. The morning of your shoot, use a lighter face wash and make sure to moisturize. If you’re shooting outside, be sure to add sunscreen to your prep routine.

When using multiple products, remember to layer on lightly and give each layer a minute or two to set. Your last layer should be a primer that will hold your makeup in place and create a smoother finish.

Step 2) Application: Once you’ve prepped your skin, you’ll be ready to apply makeup. Keep in mind that a natural look still requires coverage. Using a concealer, foundation, and then following up with powder will give you a sleek look and still leave your skin looking fresh. Natural earth tones for cheeks, eyes, and lips will accentuate features without being too overbearing. Think rosy cheeks, pink hues for lips, and a bronzer.

Your eyeshadow can be simple yet play up your eyes by doing a slightly darker crease color and a natural flesh color underneath the eyebrow. Your regular eyeliner and brow colors should work well, but it might also be time to reevaluate colors to create a more subtle effect. Waterproof eyeliner and mascara is an absolute must.

Step 3) Seal: After your makeup is fully applied, a setting spray will hold your makeup in place. If you have dry skin and want a dewy look, then a small spritz of toner will give you a beachy glow. Forego the toner if you have oily skin, and be sure to take your makeup with you so that you can touch up your look throughout your shoot.

Conclusion

Maternity photoshoots are truly a celebration of motherhood, rebirth, and life. Taking the time to reflect and enjoy the beauty of pregnancy is one of the most enjoyable parts of photoshoots. Have fun with the experience, and your happiness will shine through.

While busy designing a keepsake album for this gorgeous mama, we decided to share some samples from a Signature Session. We’ve captured a variety of backdrops, lighting set-ups, styles, hairstyles and makeup looks. Pregnancy is a special occasion that deserves to be captured for posterity. This is such a momentous time for expectant parents and an honor for us to document. This is your opportunity to celebrate family and the next stage of your lives.

We strive to capture the beauty, love and femininity of expecting mamas. We encourage partners and any older siblings to join for some portraits that celebrate the anticipation, joy and excitement of this special time. With years of experience, we are experts on artistic lighting, flattering camera angles and artful posing to ensure that you look your very best. Our goal is to capture timeless images that tell your unique story. You deserve the luxury of professional portraiture. Maternity photography is the perfect opportunity to create stunning portraits to be cherished forever.

Despite the aches and pains and swelling and all the other good stuff that goes along with creating a little miracle inside your womb, we want you to look and feel your very best. Enjoy an afternoon of pampering, and allow us to capture beautiful portraits that will preserve this incredible journey into motherhood in an artistic way to be enjoyed for years to come.

NYC Award-Winning Maternity Portrait Studio
glow portraits^® is a renowned boutique maternity photography studio in NYC, specializing in fresh and pure images that showcase the beauty of this incredibly special time in your life. We are available for sessions at our Midtown Manhattan studio. With years of experience, you’ll enjoy a relaxed and comfortable experience. As an esteemed portrait studio, glow portraits^® has the artistic vision to create beautiful and timeless art to be treasured for years to come. We love to document this wonderful journey!

The studio offers a lovely selection of backdrops, wardrobe, and artistic lighting to make your pregnancy portraits into a unique work of art. Our specialty is creating soft, dreamy portraits that showcase the beauty of this special time in your life.  We take our time to craft and perfect each pose.  glow portraits^® is passionate about creating artistic maternity and newborn portraits for families to treasure forever and ever as prints, wall art, and albums. From pregnancy to the first weeks of life, we strive to capture the beauty of these precious fleeting moments.

Since maternity portraits are best captured around 30-36 weeks, we strongly urge clients to book in advance to ensure our availability. Please take some time to explore our site, and view samples of our maternity portraiture. We look forward to hearing from you, and planning your own custom photography session.

Most of our clients find glow portraits^® through word of mouth, and we’re so incredibly grateful for all the kind reviews that have been shared on Yelp and Google. This gorgeous mama-to-be was referred by one of her close friends, and she was eager to capture some similar portraits. We encouraged her to get creative and contemplate her own unique vision for her session. As you can see, she took our advice. 🙂 We love to capture this beautiful time in a woman’s life as breathtaking works of art, and every session is such a magical experience.

These portraits will look gorgeous displayed in the nursery, and we can’t wait to capture her bundle of joy soon!!

glow portraits^® is a NYC boutique portrait studio specializing in timeless maternity and newborn photography. We have years of experience in capturing maternity photography and newborn photography. We specialize in artistic lighting, tasteful posing, and artistic cropping to ensure you look your best.  We recommend professional make-up and hair styling to ensure a timeless look for your portraits. Natural make-up, fake lashes, and soft curls are generally preferred among our clients. Our signature style of post-processing includes tasteful smoothing of skin and body contours to put the finishing touches on your portraits. 

As NYC’s premiere portrait photographer, we would love to photograph your pregnancy as exquisite works of art.  If you’d like to book your own nyc maternity photography session, please contact the Manhattan NYC portrait studio at 212.868.1076.  We look forward to capturing these precious memories for your family!