I believe that a maternity portrait, which is really a celebration portrait, needs to have a lot of emotion because it is such a special time. I want to make sure that we have a level of intimacy and emotion in the image. Most of that is in body language, closed eyes, and expression.
Posing and Composition
In the facing-page photograph, I used the husband as a prop; without him in the photo, I would not have had the high level of intimacy or connection.
Being able to celebrate the pregnancy in a way that is flattering is also very important. I have their arms up and out, forming a circle. This is one of the strongest compositions to depict an intimate connection. If you had a marker, you could draw a circle from his shoulder, down his arm, around her outer arm and back up. That subtle, implied circle is a great composition for a new baby; like a wedding band, it has no beginning or end.
Other photographers might have tried to have Dad try to reach under the belly. I wanted to avoid that awkwardness; Dad would have had to reach around too far. What I wanted here was “touch.” I just wanted him to touch her arms and complete the circle. I told him that I did not know how much of him I was going to see, but I also reminded him that this photo was not about him—it was about her and the baby. Dads often play a secondary role in my pregnancy portraits, but they add a high level of intimacy.
Additional images from the same session.
Backdrop
I used a David Maheu background and lit the background for separation. The light is visible coming down his arm and shoulder as well as on her shoulder and outer arm, separating them from the background and providing a level of depth.