Gum Grove Park is local to me (Seal Beach) and it’s such a gem! There’s the main part with big eucalyptus trees, trails throughout, wildflowers in the spring and then there’s the rustic wild part.
As an Orange County maternity photographer, I see a lot of expecting moms. Sometimes moms want to document the experience alone. Other times, they want to include a significant other and also an older child if they have one.
My studio is the perfect place for a dreamy maternity session. The light is soft, the environment is serene and the result is perfectly simple portraits.
I love when mothers invest in maternity photos because it documents the stage that so quickly changes.
4 Tips for a Great Maternity Session
When you invest into a maternity session, you’re documenting all the feelings and emotions while being pregnant. You want to remember the glow and how empowered you felt being able to grow a human.
I highly recommend putting all your efforts into planning your photo session to make sure you walk away feeling like a supermodel. I’ve put together a few tips to help you get the most out of your maternity session.
- Start by putting together a pinterest board of inspiration. Are you inspired by at-home raw images or do you want to be in a field at sunset with a wreath of flowers?
- Choose your clothing wisely. Maxi dresses are best in my opinion. They create a very flattery line for the belly. You can find amazing deals on amazon if you don’t want to splurge on a dress you may not wear again.
- Accessorize. Even if it’s something simple like a statement ring, add a little something to add interest to your photos.
- Hire a photographer you connect with. It can be intimidating to be the only one in front of the camera. A good photographer will give you direction and interact with you to bring out your inner supermodel!
How to Use Pinterest for Photo Session Inspiration
I love Pinterest. I joined when the only way you could join was to be invited by someone cool. Who doesn’t love a one-stop-shop for fashion tips, recipes, DIYs and the top 100 baby names for 2018? Pinterest has grown and pretty much everyone uses the site as inspiration for their every day life. It’s now common for clients to send me their boards before photo sessions. I love that we can communicate as photographer and client in this very visual way.
I also think Pinterest has clouded our realistic minds. We believe we can create the gallery from our photo session in the form of a Pinterest board. And here’s the bottom line I tell me clients about using Pinterest to plan your photo session. Use it as INSPIRATION. These photos are not something we can copy. A photographer had a ‘magic moment‘ with their client and shared it online. It was so magical that you want that. But, here’s the thing…you are not them and I am not that photographer.
Let’s create our own magic moments. We can relax into the moment and before you know it all the stars have aligned.
Using Pinterest for inspiration is so helpful for your photographer.
Here are some ways you can do that:
- Use Pinterest to plan your outfits. Seeing outfits (the colors, patterns and textures) laid out together can be very helpful with how something can come across visually.
- Use Pinterest to communicate the style you like. If you show me a board of photos that are close, intimate and cozy. I get that vibe. If you show me a board of people with perfect hair and posed in a very traditional way, I get that too.
- Use Pinterest to choose your location. I think this also goes hand in hand with communicating style. If you are worried about perfect hair, you should not be choosing the beach. If you want very REAL photos, I’ll help you narrow down the place you feel at home so we can get those real emotions.
Last week I photographed this glowing mama in my studio in Long Beach. I absolutely love everything from top to bottom about this session. She wore a beautiful dress with delicate details. Her jewelry complimented the dress perfectly. I collaborated with her to make this floral crown. The soft light of the studio is so gorgeous for maternity sessions. If you’re considering a maternity session, the studio is a great place to keep it simple and just highlight your growing belly and the new life that’s about ready to enter the world.
You can also check out this Orange County on-location maternity session with the same soft colors.
Long Beach Maternity Session by Kristin Eldridge.
Laguna Beach Maternity Photography
I love when clients thoroughly think out the look of their shoot. We work together to come up with a concept and there’s lots of prepping and planning on both part. My client chose her dress and headpiece (gorgeous!) for a soft beach setting. I suggested a rocky cove. We met at the early morning hour of 7am (that’s commitment!) so we could get soft lighting. The whole look was amazing. She also had her hair and makeup done (worth it!) for the shoot. The whole look came together so well. And we ended the shoot with her getting in the ocean. I love the look of a drapey dress that’s wet with salty ocean water. Gorgeous!
Sometimes clients get sad when the sun goes away. I get it…there’s a lot of beauty in the sun peaking out from the trees. But, there’s also a lot of beauty in the subtle way that clouds mute all the colors and make them into a watercolor painting.
My job, as a photographer, is to take the situation (whatever it might be) and make it work. So, if it’s bright and sunny, I’m making the light work for me. If it’s cool-toned and overcast, I’m gonna make that work for me too!
This maternity session is the perfect example of a beautiful overcast day.
Photos by Kristin Eldridge, Maternity Photographer in Orange County.
Overcast // Orange County Maternity Photographer
Such sweet mama and daughter moments! I love how little girls go into full mommy-mode getting ready for their new little sibling.
Photos were taken by Long Beach Maternity Photographer, Kristin Eldridge.
There’s this perfect in-between lighting that happens at the beach. It’s not quite overcast and it’s not quite sunny. That’s my favorite type of lighting. There’s no shadows and you still get some vibrant colors. I wish every day could be this perfect in-between!
Photos by Orange County Maternity Photographer, Kristin Eldridge.
