Pregnancy bump shots, indoors and out. Any tips please

Raptor Mike

Raptor Mike

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Some very good friends of mine are having a baby, due in January.
I have offered to do some bump shots as I thought this would be a really good opportunity for some practice. My friend would like some done in some woods as well as some indoor shots.
I just wondered if anyone had any tips for outside shots of bumps, especially when it's cold. We need to be able to show the bump but also my friend needs to be kept warm. I also want to get her husband and two other children, 6 and 3, involved.

I would defiantly appreciate any other advice that's going too ;)

Many thanks, Mike :)
 
As no one else is stepping up, I'll add I'm no expert.

Firstly, outside at the moment and keeping comfortable is a bit of an ask.

Bumps are best shown bare or covered in sheer materials (that'll be inside ATM)

Look at dramatic side lighting for showing the bump, a gridded strip box would be ideal, if you don't have one, think how you could create a similar effect.

For shots with the kids, get the mum on the floor to reduce the height differences, typically look to create triangles. Try to light that large and soft, I'd go fairly frontal to mitigate your subjects falling into each other's shadows.

Much of that might be teaching granny to suck eggs, it's difficult pitching advice when we don't know your starting point.

If it's pitched too high, just say.
 
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Phil V said:
As no one else is stepping up, I'll add I'm no expert.

Firstly, outside at the moment and keeping comfortable is a bit of an ask.

Bumps are best shown bare or covered in sheer materials (that'll be inside ATM)

Look at dramatic side lighting for showing the bump, a gridded strip box would be ideal, if you don't have one, think how you could create a similar effect.

For shots with the kids, get the mum on the floor to reduce the height differences, typically look to create triangles. Try to light that large and soft, I'd go fairly frontal to mitigate your subjects falling into each other's shadows.

Much of that might be teaching granny to suck eggs, it's difficult pitching advice when we don't know your starting point.

If it's pitched too high, just say.
Click to expand...
That's very helpful Phil, thanks. (y) I'm with you about the out door shoot and have mantioned it to my friend but she's very keen to have a woods shoot. My worry is that she gets cold or ius in a big coiat and the bump doesn't show. Might be worth another chat.

My lighting is very limited at the moment, one white umbrella, 2 430 ex2s and a reflector. But will try your advice as best I can. She is aware of my current capabilities, but I'm not charging her as they are good friends. :)
 
Raptor Mike said:
That's very helpful Phil, thanks. (y) I'm with you about the out door shoot and have mantioned it to my friend but she's very keen to have a woods shoot. My worry is that she gets cold or ius in a big coiat and the bump doesn't show. Might be worth another chat.

My lighting is very limited at the moment, one white umbrella, 2 430 ex2s and a reflector. But will try your advice as best I can. She is aware of my current capabilities, but I'm not charging her as they are good friends. :)
Click to expand...
You can create rim light with a bare speedlight, and add add to it with a reflector, this would work for just the torso.
 
Nor am I an expert so when I was asked to do this, I googled this and had a look at what the pros who have posted them do... Helped a bit. Unfortunately, they are now divorced but I had nothing to do with that!
 
When you are trying something new my advice is always to make it as simple as possible. If you succeed then you can build on that with another step of complexity and if you fail to achieve what you were looking for then you have a single problem to resolve and not several to understand where you went wrong.

- First time shooting a bump
- Cold weather outside
- Want to involve small children

You might want to think about only adding one new thing to this and so if you feel you have indoor portraits nailed then make the bump the element and concentrate on that.

In this circumstance I would suggest that the outdoor bump portraits don't have to be about naked bumps, and lots of voile. They can be a lifestyle shoot, with the family, while the mum is pregnant. An unbuttoned coat, or a nice maternity coat would still show it off and keep her warm for the short time you are actually shooting.
 
Excellent advice from Mike.

I learned the hard way this year when I tried to do my first ever posed portraits, at the same time using flash for the first time, and forgetting light stands so relying on people to hold them... What. a. f-ing. nightmare!

Similar to almost everything I've tried out in photography, building from the bottom up is almost always the best way to go.
 
Can only echo most of the advice here (also not an expert in the field but a keen enthusiast) and the only things I could really add to the outdoor side of the shoot is to go onto Flickr or 500px and search for "outdoor baby bump" or similar. Find a group of pictures you like and start working out (or even be cheeky and ask) how the lighting has been done or the camera set up, etc.

Will give you some good ideas for poses and such too especially if you create a Pinterest board with them on and show the mother and father to be.

The other main tip is the one I try to follow with all my outdoor shots. Have fun. Don't get tied down with posing too much. Sometimes the best shots are the candid style ones.

Good luck!
 
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