Each month, Sarah previews the cutest baby bump and more information about natural light, on location pregnancy portraiture for expecting mothers to be and couples. Check out the top December session featuring spectacular evening light.

Dynamic Maternity Images in Houston by Sarah Borchgrevink

Good morning, friends! Today's blog post is all about gorgeous maternity photography and the sweet mama who rocked her on location pregnancy session featuring golden light, a stunning atmosphere and who truly was a joy to document!

If this is your first time here, welcome! I'm Sarah! I specialize in newborn photography, however, each month I take a handful of maternity sessions. These are available to both new and returning clients, however, clients who have also booked a custom newborn baby session have priority on the calendar.

My on location, natural light maternity sessions take place at golden hour, meaning right as the sun is rising or just as the sun is setting. This creates the best Houston maternity portraits that are timeless, stunning, ethereal, and will forever preserve this incredibly special time in your life. Awaiting the arrival of your little one is absolutely a joy - I know you can't wait to meet him or her!

For this session, we chose a location in Houston, which is where my studio is based, so I typically work in areas that are close to my workplace. This location is a favorite among clients and has the best light of all the options. It is available M-F for sunset only, since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

This sweet mommy to be booked both a maternity session and in studio newborn session. Her newborn session is truly fantastic, so I'm looking forward to previewing some of those images, too! :-) Typically, maternity sessions take place when your baby bump is around 34-36 weeks along. Most mothers book 6 weeks in advance. The calendar does fill in advance so if you're interested in a maternity session, I recommend contacting me sooner rather than later.

Here are some of my favorite images from our time together! Enjoy!

Located in Houston, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography joyfully offers beautiful maternity sessions for expecting couples and mothers to be. Through connected posing and lifestyle portraiture, Sarah authentically preserves your pregnancy.

Tips for Posing Expecting Couples during a Maternity Session

Booking a maternity session is often very exciting! It's a time to document your motherhood journey and to preserve this time in your life as you eagerly await the arrival of your sweet cherub baby. Part of booking a natural light and on location maternity photographer is checking out many portfolios, reading their photography philosophies and selecting someone who is the perfect fit for the final look you envision. If you're looking for sweet, timeless, simple and naturally posed images, I'm the gal for you!

This sweet couple originally contacted me when they were in their second trimester. They booked both a natural light, maternity session and a posed newborn collection with me. This is very common since many parents like to work with the same person for both sessions.

Posing Couples in a natural way

When photographing an expecting couple, the final look should be connected, natural, and not at all stilted or awkward. When I first began photographing couples during pregnancy portraiture sessions, I sometimes felt a little stuck and unsure of how to keep the session flowing smoothly. For example, it's often the first time you've met the couple. In this case, for instance, I did meet Mom in advance since she came for a studio tour, however, it was my first time interacting with Dad. This couple is about as kind and gracious as they come, so it is my job to make sure they look happy, in love, and comfortable together. Posing couples, however, can be challenging because they must be at ease. When they're in a public setting and outside of their normal routine, the posing can make them feel a little bit nervous since it's not the normal routine for them. After all, I photograph many clients per month, but this is a new experience for them.

Affordable Maternity Photography Houston

Have Patience with the client

Once you greet your client and get them settled, be patient. Ask them about their day and make sure they like the location you're working at that day. Give them the opportunity to ask any questions they may have before you begin. Always have Dad take everything out of his pocket, too, such as car keys or his wallet. If he's wearing a fit bit, go ahead and have him remove that unless he'd like it in his final images. You'll be the one doing most of the running, especially if you shoot with prime lenses, ha! Give your client a little bit of time to warm up. By being friendly and courteous to them, it helps them relax. By answering any questions, it removes the "unknown" and let's them feel more comfortable. You want your client to love the images!

Give clear direction and communicate clearly

Now that you've started the session, give clear direction to your clients. Don't say, "Um...yeah, scoot over a little bit, um..stop, no, go left, no go right, no I mean forward, etc." When you fumble and act unsure of what you're doing, it creates uncertainty during the session. Instead, take charge. Be friendly yet assertive. Tell the parents, in a clear voice, exactly what you'd like them to do. Guide them through positive instructions. For instance, you might say, "Alright, guys! Now let's smile at one another. Dad, gently touch the top of Mom's stomach. Let's make sure you're on the same focal plane. Alright, now let's have mom bend her front leg." Effectively communicating with your client will help you naturally pose them because they understand what you're asking of them. If you cannot clearly communicate, everything will be lost in translation and you can expect your client to just pose themselves. That's why they've hired you.

Have them Kiss or interact together

Sometimes friends will tell me they're unsure of how to get Mom and Dad to kiss. It's simple. Just ask them to, ha! This couple is young, in love, and super excited to meet their baby girl. They often adore one another and are looking forward to the session. This is the time in their marriage or relationship when it's just the two of them and it's a great oppurtunity to capture romantic, intimate, and sweet shots of them because they'll look back on these images and see how their love shines through.

Naturally Posing Couples during Maternity Pictures

Keep them moving

Another simple way to naturally pose your clients is through movement. By moving, it gives them a natural action they're familiar with, such as walking. You can ask them to walk, smile at one another, and look back into their partner's eyes.

Cozy up and cuddle

At some point, it adds variety to the final gallery to have the clients sitting together, all cozy and cuddled together. I usually bring a quilt of some sort and take the time to do individual images of Mom, but also of both parents together. If you have Mom lean back into Dad, he can support her, while touching the baby bump, and they can interact together. Don't focus too much on them looking at the camera. It's nice to have images that are a little more lifestyle in nature, which will add laid back posing to your collections.

Posing Husband and Wife Maternity Photos

Thanks for stopping by my blog to read about simple, effective, and natural ways to pose couples during an outdoor maternity session. I hope you visit again! If you'd like to keep looking around, I'm sure you'll find other topics to enjoy! If you liked reading about posing couples, you may like the following posts or find them informative:

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Houston. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including North Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, Jersey Village, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Conroe, Willis, Montgomery, Humble, Kingwood, Porter, New Caney, Waller, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Fulshear, Sugar Land, Pearland, Hempstead, Richmond, West University, Rice Village and Porter TX. Connect to chat with Sarah today! Please consider booking your session at your earliest convenience in order to secure your appointments on the calendar.

Baby Bump of the Month: On Location, Natural Light Pregnancy Photos