Maternity Portraits in our Classic Studio Gowns

I know one mama who is excited to see her maternity session blog post! This sweet mama-to-be is due in September, and she was absolutely radiant for her maternity portrait session. We started with studio portraits in our Saratoga Springs portrait studio, and Genna selected a few of her favorite gowns from our Mama Wardrobe. I especially love the boho lace off-the-shoulder gown on her! Doesn’t she look like a goddess???

Genna was excited to show off that gorgeous baby bump with some bare bump photos, too! An oversize shirt was the perfect accessory. Wondering what else looks good in bare bump photos? Cozy cardigans, lace kimono tops, swimsuit coverups, and bathrobes!

Next up were sunset portraits at the Hall of Springs with their puppy! I loved doing a mix of indoor and outdoor portraits for their maternity session, and the outdoor portraits were the perfect opportunity for their fur baby to join us.

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Inspired by this classic maternity session in our Saratoga Springs studio? Save this image or any from the post above!

Enjoy a sneak peek at our beautiful new mama gowns in the studio

One of my favorite things about our maternity sessions is helping these mamas-to-be feel like radiant goddesses for their portraits. I love celebrating their baby bump and talking with them about their little one’s upcoming arrival, and getting so excited to plan their newborn session together.

However, one thing that clients always ask me is:
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR???

It’s hard. I get it! You want something that is going to photograph beautifully, and when you’re pregnant, you want an outfit with a soft & flowy fabric that is going to accentuate all of the beautiful parts of your shape that you want to show off. It sounds easy enough, but when you go searching for an outfit it turns out they are incredibly hard to find.

That is why I have a studio closet filled with gorgeous gowns for our clients — maternity clients, new mamas with their tiny babies in their arms, and even mamas with older babies and toddlers!

Melissa came to the studio with the most adorable baby bump to model a bunch of our new gowns, and I love how beautiful these classic styles are on her!

Our mama wardrobe has something for everyone.
Flowy fabrics
Lace
Cap sleeves
Strapless
Off the shoulder
Sheer
Floor length
Short
Lots of white
And so many colors, too!

We have a bunch of infinity wrap dresses like the ones below, which can be tied a million different ways to create a different style of dress every time. I love these dresses because they flatter every single body and they help mamas feel amazing and so, so beautiful!

Winter Maternity Portraits with a Red Gown

When Lorraine first reached out to plan her maternity session, we talked a lot about leaving some wiggle room in our calendars to try and align it with a snow day. After a few snowstorms that promised 7 inches of snow simply disappeared from the forecast, we decided to go with a wintery session (minus the snow!) at our original location. The end result? Absolutely lovely maternity portraits!

Lorraine & Moe brought their THREE fur babies with them. I always love incorporating dogs into our sessions, and these three were pretty amazing. Can you even believe we got a portrait with all of the dogs facing forward? No Photoshop head swaps or dog swaps necessary!

This mama-to-be looked radiant in her red gown, and it popped against the neutral and cool winter landscape.

This might be one of my favorite shots from this session! I LOVE the excitement on their faces here!

A Summer Maternity Session at Congress Park - Saratoga Springs NY Maternity Photographer

We've been in the middle of a baby boom lately with so many newborn sessions in both Saratoga Springs and Boston, which also means we've enjoyed even more maternity sessions than usual, too!  

Jessica & Matt joined me at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs for a sunset maternity session, and we had the park almost entirely to ourselves on a rare quiet evening downtown.  Jessica wore one of our lavender gowns from the studio collection, and she was absolutely radiant while celebrating her baby bump and counting down the weeks to her sweet little one's arrival.

This is one of my favorite shots from their session, and it's a pose that I think we'll definitely have to do more often!  I love how casual it is while showing off Jessica's beautiful baby bump and her long flowing gown.  

I can't wait to meet their sweet little baby in just a few weeks!  Check back soon for their Fresh 48 session and lifestyle newborn session here on the blog!

A Greenhouse Maternity Session with Amy & Lo | Saratoga Springs Maternity Photographer

Sometimes things just come together perfectly, like these two:

Amy & Lo met at the Saratoga racetrack a few years ago on Travers Weekend, and they've been inseparable ever since.  They got married last fall, and reached out to me about planning their maternity & newborn sessions as they eagerly wait for their baby boy to arrive later this summer.

When they mentioned finding a location with a more natural feel, I suggested that we do their session in a greenhouse.  Well, as things just come together perfectly, luck would have it that Amy's family owns a local greenhouse and she grew up planting seedlings and watering the flowers right here in this building.  So of course we decided it would be the perfect location for their maternity session!  

Don't you agree?  I'm in love with the soft, diffused light and the beautiful flowers & greenery!  But of course, the real stars of the show are Amy, Lo, and her adorable baby bump!

They both have family in Holland, so we had to incorporate these vintage wooden shoes into their session.  I love it when families bring a beautiful & meaningful family heirloom to their sessions for us to use in their portraits!

Wondering what to wear for your maternity session?  I have a growing collection of gowns in the studio, like this slate blue one below.  These are perfect for our studio mamas, and I am always happy to let you come visit and try a few on beforehand to choose the ones that you'd like to wear during your portrait session!

Amy absolutely rocked the blue gown, and it looked incredible on her.  I love the way it showcases her baby bump and complements her hair & skin.  She's definitely radiant!

Maternity sessions are best done between weeks 28-36.  If you're expecting a little one, I would love to chat with you about adding a maternity session on to your newborn package!  

Enjoy a few more recent maternity sessions on the blog:

Emily's Backlit Maternity Session in the Studio

Waiting for Baby Luca: A Studio Maternity Session

Emily: Saratoga Springs & Boston Maternity Portrait Session

The joy of motherhood comes in moments like this one.

It comes in looking down and anticipating all of the many ways that your life will be changed once your baby arrives.  Wondering who he or she will look like, what their first word will be, what their laugh will sound like, and who they will grow up to be one day.  

Maternity portrait sessions are all about the ANTICIPATION.  This is such an exciting time in your life as you wait & wonder about this tiny little person that is going to come into the world and change your life in more ways than you can possibly imagine.  

Emily came to our Saratoga Springs studio for her maternity portrait session, and we had such a wonderful afternoon together showcasing her gorgeous baby bump and celebrating this incredible time of eager anticipation.  She just radiated joy and grace, and I loved watching her glow with confidence and happiness as she tried on one gown after another from our studio wardrobe and completely rocked her maternity session.

Backlighting has become my absolute favorite element to incorporate into maternity sessions.  This style of dreamlighting is so airy and beautiful, and it gives such a gorgeous glow to the mamas.  It allowed Emily to truly shine during her session at the studio!

And this one, my favorite image from the entire session.  Though I love every single image that we captured this one stands out to me in the way she casts her gaze down with those soft curls framing her face and her hands gently holding her bump.  This one encapsulates everything that I love so much about maternity sessions, and I cannot wait to welcome more expecting mamas into the studio for their sessions in the coming months!  

Please email me at hello@nicolestarrphotography.com or use the CONTACT tab above, and let's plan your session!  These are best between weeks 30-36, and we often start planning maternity sessions during the second trimester to save a spot on the calendar for you.  

Now booking at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio, and at our Attleboro portrait studio.  Plus, if you've been dreaming of maternity portraits on the beach this summer, let's talk and plan a session on Cape Cod for sunset to show off that beautiful baby bump!