Maternity photo shoot props can add personalized and interesting elements to your photo shoot. As family photographers, we’re here to tell YOUR family story, so adding a touch of your personal life will help us create images that have more meaning to you and your loved ones. While props are not necessary, when selected with purpose, they can be a great addition to your collection of images.
Here are a few creative ideas for Maternity Photo Shoot Props.
Bring Your Ultrasound as a Maternity Shoot Prop
What better way to celebrate and commemorate the pregnant phase in your life than to include the time when you first saw an image of your soon-to-be-born baby? As you see from the images below, we can find interesting ways to incorporate that precious, life-changing photo.
Visit your Alma Mater for Your Maternity Session
Choosing meaningful locations for your maternity session always adds a personalized touch to your photo collection. For example, if you met your spouse in college, why not go back to where it all began? Below is an example of a UCLA maternity session for an incredible family. We were blessed to photograph their wedding (via Lin and Jirsa Wedding Photography) 5 years ago; and now, as they expand their family, we are here to capture their growing love again.
Combine Your Baby Shower With Your Maternity Session
Combining your baby shower with your maternity photography session allows you to document the wonderful moments of the baby shower with your close family and friends and also capture beautiful portraits of you and your husband to celebrate the beautiful moments of maternity. We recommend booking a session that is at least 3 to 4 hours to provide us with sufficient time to combine photojournalism with artistic portraiture.
Bring Balloons to Your Maternity Session
What’s a celebration without balloons? Consider bringing balloons as a maternity session prop for a few photos as you see in the photo below.
Consider Children’s Activities If You’re Involving Kids
If you’re including your other kids in your maternity session, consider bringing fun activities for them. Maternity sessions are a celebration of family, so including your other children and their interests can make the session more meaningful and documentary for your family.
Bring Your Bling to Your Maternity Session
This idea is not as much of a prop as it is a reminder. The art of storytelling involves capturing multiple angles of different elements, including the belly and hands. Wearing your wedding rings helps tell a complete story for images like the one below.
Consider Decorative Elements Like Flower Crowns
As part of your wardrobe, consider decorative elements like flower crowns. Maternity sessions are a celebration of life and nature so adding other symbols of life, like flowers, are beautiful elements that are consistent with the theme and purpose. For more wardrobe tips and ideas, see our list of Maternity Photography Dresses.
Bring Little Baby Shoes!
Why? Because sometimes we need to do things for the simple sake of them being freaking cute!
More Maternity Photography Ideas
For more maternity session prop ideas, see our engagement photography props on Lin and Jirsa. Almost all of the ideas for engagement photography can be applied to maternity photography as well.