Beach Maternity Photoshoot
Beach Maternity Photoshoot
Are you looking to capture your beautiful bump with a beach maternity photoshoot and create some beautiful photos?
Well, whether you are pregnant now and ready for a photoshoot or just planning ahead ( love organised people ) you’ve certainly come to the right place. It’s no secret maternity photos are one of my favourite sessions, especially if we can combine the photoshoot with a magnificent Sunset! Where better than a beach maternity photoshoot to get fantastic sunset photos.
I love all the wonderful locations we have here in Dorset, but the beach maternity photoshoots, especially in the summer are amazing. Sandy toes in the water, beautiful dress, suntanned bump what could be better?
Here are some hints and tips to help your beach maternity session go to plan.
What to wear
When you book a maternity session with me, we can discuss the kind of photos you are hoping for. I have a great selection of designer maternity dresses available for you to use and most are suited to the Beach. If you prefer to wear your own dresses then Asos is a great site for beach type maternity dresses for that relaxed floaty Boho look. Pale, pastel colours look great on the beach and white can look fab against the sand and waves. The beach in the summer can be busy so if you want to change then be aware you may have to shimmy inside a blanket to change on the beach, especially out of hours when the toilets facilities will be closed.
Related reading: What to expect from a pregnancy photoshoot
Time of Day
My absolute favourite time of day for any location photoshoot would be the “golden hour “. At the end of the day, the light is just sublime. We could do sunrise but that would take some dedications from both of us to be at the beach for 4.30 am. 🙂 So the golden hour is probably best! That last hour or so before sunset has just the most the beautiful soft light. We all love that golden glow in photos and really is super flattering to us ladies. We can make the most of the golden light and hopefully get some great sunset photos too. I can’t stress enough how important the right light is for the photos, sunset can be late in the summer so Beach sessions tend to be between 7-9 pm to make the most of the light.
Can I bring my partner?
Absolutely! 100% yes! Dads-to-be are just as excited about the new arrival and often get a little overlooked so yes bring him along. We can include him in as many photos as you like. A simple pale coloured shirt with shorts or trousers will compliment you perfectly and look great in the photos. Dads love the special time with you and the bump, sometimes they can get a bit forgotten.
Can I bring my other children?
Oh yes, of course, you can! I just love to capture the older children at maternity sessions. They are super excited too about the arrival of their new brother or sister. If we are going for a sunset shoot then remember to get the little ones to have a nap in the afternoon so they make it into the evening.
What stage in my pregnancy is best for photos?
Oh, this really is a good question, and it really is different for everyone. I’ve had some ladies with tiny bumps at 38 weeks and others completely fed up and “popped” by 30 weeks. Generally, I recommend booking a session between 28 and 36 weeks. So before you have gotten too tired and fed up and still feel like you are “blooming”. That way you will look back on the photos in awe of your bump and still be able to make it back to the car having gotten your steps in on the beach. Walking in the sand can be fairly tiring when not pregnant, so add pregnancy into the mixed and you could be exhausted if later on in your pregnancy.
How do I book?
Well booking your beach maternity photoshoot couldn’t really be any simpler, check out my maternity booking information here
My maternity sessions are currently discounted, so grab an absolute bargain.
Just drop me a line with your due date and the type of maternity session you’d like and we can go from there. I can’t wait to hear from you and get some great bump photos for you.
Bye for now
Karen x
Putting Dorset on the map: Recent international photography award wins!
International photography award!
As well as keeping busy in my photography studio creating portraits for my clients, I like to enter photographic competitions every now and then to keep me on my toes.
Getting my photography assessed and graded is an important way for me to learn how to keep improving my portrait photography.
Of course, winning a photography award is always lovely (and I’ve won many awards in the past). But that’s honestly not what I expect when I enter.
Award-winning portrait photographer
So, imagine my surprise when I entered the RISE photography awards recently and came away with a Bronze award in the Newborn Photography category and three Silver awards; two in the Children’s Photography category and one in the Maternity Photography category.
Best of all, I also had an image shortlisted for the Final in the Newborn category. It was selected by the judges as one of the best top 20 images from a total of 1100 entries in its category! OMG!
I was completely bowled over when I heard the news and felt very proud of myself, that’s for sure!
International photography awards
The RISE Awards are huge in the portrait photography industry.
They were founded by Australian newborn photographer Kelly Brown, who’s the very best photographer in the newborn industry in my opinion. I had the pleasure of attending one of Kelly’s photography workshops a few years ago, which I wrote about on the blog.)
The RISE international photography award is a competition open to portrait photographers all over the world.
There were over 4000 entries in total by photographers across the nine categories; maternity photography, birth photography, newborn photography, baby photography, children photography, family photography, pet/animal photography, portrait, photography, and wedding photography.
Winning these international photography awards for my newborn, child and maternity portraits is a great personal achievement, and I hope gives you some reassurance that my work is of the highest quality.
Over the summer, I also won two Gold awards with the Societies of Photographers for my outdoor newborn portraits, so that was another highlight as well!
If you’d like to book a portrait session with me, get in touch as soon as possible to secure one of the last few slots I have available this year.
Karen x
KW Photography featured in Woman & Home magazine
Today I have some very exciting news. I am in the current edition of the national women’s glossy, ‘Woman & Home’ (March 2016 edition)!!!
‘Meet the new solopreneurs’
I’m featured as part of a positive article about women entrepreneurs and in the article I talk about my journey from working in print production for more than twenty years, to becoming a successful newborn photographer.
Woman and Home is a leading women’s magazine in the UK, read by almost 350,000 women each month. It covers lifestyle, fashion, business, home and travel stories and is genuinely one of my favourite magazines.
So it’s hugely exciting (and slightly embarrassing!) that I’m in the magazine myself!
I was interviewed for the article and then the magazine came and photographed me at my studio in Poole in mid-December.
While I’m never a fan of photos of myself (I prefer to be behind the camera, as most photographers do!), I’m really pleased with the pictures they took of me and the studio.
I was lucky enough to have the gorgeous baby Lucy join me in the photos. She was a complete star! Big thanks must go to her mum Gemma for bringing her in.
I wonder if any avid Woman & Home readers among you spotted me before you read this?! Ha ha! I would love to know!
Life after Redundancy: A Photographer’s tale
The whole thing came about when I heard that the magazine was looking to feature women who had a positive story to tell about being made redundant.
I’ve previously blogged about my redundancy story, but for those who don’t know; I was made redundant in February 2011 and while it was a shock and a massive blow at the time, I used the opportunity to embark on a completely new career.
I let my passion for photography lead me into a career in newborn photography and, well, the rest they say is history!
Since then I have carved out a niche in newborn and family portrait photography and almost five years later I’m extremely thankful for the way things have turned out. I get to work every day doing something I am so passionate about and absolutely love.
So that is my story.
If you’d like to see how Woman & Home have told it, do grab a copy of the magazine while you can. It’s available from newsagents and supermarkets now. I’m in the March 2016 edition (with Julie Walters on the cover) on page 145-146.
Once you’ve read it, please do comment and let me know what you think.
Until next time,
Karen x
