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austin, texas maternity and newborn photographer

Hello photography

african american pregnant woman wearing a teal dress that is flying through the air behind her

Maternity Photography Session: Amara | Hello Photography

As a maternity photographer, I typically like to wait until week 32 of pregnancy to take pictures of mom’s belly during a maternity photography session. I find that 32+-week pregnant bellies are rounder, the couple is fully ready to share their news with the world, and the circumstances work out just right to produce the perfect pregnancy photo.

 

Amara and her husband, Udrick, are proof that pregnancy photos look beautiful at ALL stages! 

 

Amara is only 30 weeks pregnant during this maternity photoshoot, but she managed to show off her baby bump in all its glory — and look stunning while doing so. Amara wanted maternity photos for her upcoming baby shower, which meant she needed to take them a little earlier than I would usually. 

 

These photos did not disappoint. I showed Amara the photos I took throughout the maternity session, and she couldn’t believe how lovely she looked. I wasn’t shocked, though. Amara and Udrick really shined during this session.

An african-american couple posing for maternity photos in the Austin, Texas studio.

One of my favorite things about this session was how hands-on Udrick was throughout. Maternity photography clients often have friends and family members on deck to help with poses, shots, and general support. Udrick not only looked great dressed to the nines for this session, but he also helped with many of the maternity photoshoot logistics, like this shot and final photo:

before and after photo of a woman sitting holding her pregnant belly with a dress flying around her.

The black and white and color versions of the photos add different layers to the portrait, and I typically provide my clients with both color and black and white photo options. The color photo is vibrant and highlights Amara’s smile while bringing a sense of cheer to the sitting. The black and white portrait from this composite is a personal favorite. I think Amara looks regal, almost like she’s an angel surrounded by her own wings!

Angelic formal black and white or colorful, rich vibrancy — either way, Amara was definitely the star of this maternity shoot.

black and white photo of a woman sitting holding her pregnant belly with a dress flying around her.

This wasn’t the only composite photo I did during Amara’s session. Composites are actually a huge part of maternity photography. As much as the media portrays photographers as simply people who point a camera, click a button, and then are done, a lot more goes into making a perfect photo. 

 

As you can see in these photos, there’s still a lot of traditional photography work that goes into getting a great initial shot. I have to make sure that the exposure is perfect in both shots, I have to have an idea in my head of what the final photo will look like, and then after the maternity session I have to make all that happen in photoshop.


When it all works out right the result is beautiful!

 

Before/after collage of a rainbow maternity dress with tossing effects.

Amara may have been the maternity session star, but Udrick was such a good sport when it came to helping us make magic with my rainbow maternity gown. The train on that maternity dress is one of my biggest, and this is the first time I have ever used it inside my Cedar Park maternity studio.

Udrick also got a chance to be in some of the maternity shots, creating gorgeous portraits and some of their first professional family photos together as parents-to-be. I supply my maternity clients with their choice of maternity gowns, but the clothes Udrick wore during the session were all his own, and he looked super dapper next to Amara.portrait of a well dressed couple loving on each other during their Austin maternity photoshoot
I mean, seriously. Look at how well he matched his blue suit with her pastel rainbow maternity gown and her open-front, blue-green maternity gown. If only matching outfits for all of my maternity sessions were this effortless!

A couple expecting their first baby loving on each other during their Austin maternity photoshoot.

For Amara’s maternity photography session, I wanted to capture her depth, glamour, kind smile, and personality. I did this by working with shadows and lighting in my Cedar Park studio.The white maternity gown and rainbow train brought out Amara’s warmth and femininity. Meanwhile, these silhouette-style maternity photos aimed to showcase her maternal power.

african american pregnant woman wearing a teal dress that is flying through the air behind her

dark pregnancy photos

Amara still has a few weeks to go before she and Udrick get to meet Baby Beth, but in the meantime, I hope she gets to show these photos off to all her loved ones. As a photographer, I get to work with a lot of beautiful people — but I’m just someone who captures that beauty! They’re the ones who bring it to the studio in the first place. 

And someday, I hope I get to photograph baby Beth when she finally graces the world with even more beauty.

black and white photo of a fine art maternity portrait pregnant woman wearing a purple dress holding her belly

Thank you, Amara and Udrick!


Want to see another maternity photography session done by Jen Rizy of Hello Photography? You can check her out on Instagram by clicking HERE.

The best time to reach out about scheduling your maternity photoshoot is when you are entering your second trimester.  You can contact Jen by clicking HERE.

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