Hello, Zelda! - Chicago Newborn & Maternity Portraits

I met Corri and Spiro back in June for their maternity session on North Ave Beach, and had such a FUN time! They brought along their two furbabies, Emma & Harley and everyone was anticipating Baby Z's arrival. I love when couples just click and can have fun together, and I can take adorable candid photos of them without much direction.

                       
I was so excited to see Corri after the arrival of Baby Zelda. She easily slipped into the role of being a mom, and it was clear that Zelda stole her heart right away. Of course we had to take some shots in the amazing nursery and coordinated some props with her adorable lilac decor. You can follow Corri's story on her website as well as on her new blog, Glitter and Bubbles.

Hannah Drews of Hannah Drews Photography is an award-winning photographer serving the city of Chicago  as well as the surrounding suburbs. She specializes in maternity, family, and newborn photography and works primarily with beautiful, natural light. Booking with Hannah Drews Photography ensures you will receive a timeless portrait that you and your family will cherish for a lifetime. Her style is classic, natural, and simple.

Maternity Photo Sessions- Ideas & Tips for Beautiful Maternity Portraits

There are few things I love more than being able to photograph a couple before they become parents and again a few days after they welcome their baby into the world. Maternity sessions are full of excitement, anticipation, chats about baby names and nursery colors, and are always a lot of fun. It is a great way for me to meet my clients before the newborn session, get a sense of their personality and style, which enables me to create a truly unique and custom newborn session.

While I do get shots of mom-to-be on her own, the majority of the session is spent focusing on creating beautiful images of the parents together. Often times these are the last photos the couple has before their little one arrives and is a little reminder of their life before baby.

How to create flattering poses for the mom-to-be:

For pregnant women, I often have them turn their belly toward the light, angle their upper body back toward the camera, and pop their knee up (the one closest to the camera). This creates pleasing shadows on the face, and nice soft light on the belly.

For forward facing poses, it is best to have women bring one knee slightly across their other knee which immediately creates a curve along the hip (always more flattering than straight legs).

During sessions, it is often overwhelming as a photographer to remember all the tips and tricks for posing, so if you can remember one thing- Never put weight on both feet at one time (keeping one heel lifted creates a lighter looking pose).

Once I have mom posed, I add the partner, making sure there is some connection between all three subjects (mom, dad, baby bump). I also love to shoot the couple from far away, letting them interact and chat while I photograph candid moments.

Below are some of my favorite recent maternity portraits taken around Chicago, enjoy!

 

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