Out of all my portrait photography I am most well-known and sought-after for my outdoor pregnancy photo shoots, which make up a large proportion of my work. It was such an honour to be featured in Photography Magazine (in the November 2017 issue) for my maternity photos, in which I gave my expert advice as to how best to photograph a pregnancy portrait. From a photographer's perspective, the key things I concentrate on when photographing maternity is the light and angles of my pregnant client. In fact nearly every single one of my clients say they chose me because the way I use natural light to give that gorgeous, soft backlit look. In terms of posing, I usually give gentle direction as to how best to stand to show off baby bumps in a flattering understated way.

Pregnancy photography in the winter months

Who would believe these maternity photos were taken in the middle of February? The last week has seen snow and below freezing temperatures across the UK, but there have still been windows of opportunity for photo shoots! The most frequently asked question from potential clients enquiring about a shoot during the winter is how can the session be done in the cold. I always recommend wearing thick thermal leggings and tops under long dresses (it helps that clients tend to be a little warmer during pregnancy!) and I work quickly and efficiently so as to minimise time outside. That said, there is no getting around the fact that it is a chilly time of year, so clients do have to be prepared to be somewhat brave!

Maternity photo shoot in Richmond

The brief here was to capture mainly images of Claire, 33 weeks pregnant, as well as some very natural images of Claire and her husband. These photos were all taken in a favourite location; Richmond Park, which has some pockets of lovely golden grass that the deer haven't got to yet. These long grasses are so much prettier than plain green playing-field grass and catch the light beautifully. Apart from the lack of leaves on the trees, it's almost hard to tell these photos weren't taken in the middle of summer! The sun even made an appearance, although surprisingly some of my favourite photos from the shoot are those in the more overcast conditions, which lend themselves so well to moody black and white post-processing.