It is May and suddenly everything is in bloom and so fresh and green! Spring is such a pretty time to have a professional maternity photoshoot. This pregnancy session with the lovely Jemma and Will was commissioned to record their growing baby bump at 31 weeks and they chose Battersea Park as the backdrop, which is their local outdoor space. Battersea has become one of my very favourite locations for both pregnancy photography as well as for my other portrait shoots and has a real mix of scenery, with plenty of foliage to give soft dappled shade.

Maternity photography

I love to create very natural maternity portraits, with a mix of photos of mum by herself, as well as mum and partner together. I do gently pose couples so the bump can be photographed in a flattering way, and because most people will not have had professional pregnancy photos taken before and generally find some direction helpful and reassuring. As you can see in the black and white photographs below, I also like to do a sequence of photos of the couple walking together, which always creates a very natural look where the couple are not necessarily looking at the camera.

What to wear for outdoor pregnancy photoshoots

Jemma went for a very simple off-the-shoulder maxi dress from Seraphine, which has lots of lovely options this summer. I would highly recommend floor-length/maxi dresses rather than knee-length if possible, since this creates longer lines that draw the eye through the photo, rather than cutting off the leg half way! Colours are also important to consider - soft pastels, neutrals, blues and greys tend to work best for outdoor photoshoots as they don’t overpower the natural foliage or skin tones, or clash with the green tones. Will’s soft blue shirt paired really well with Jemma’s dress without being too “matchy-matchy”! Here’s some of my fave shots.