Jacksonville Maternity & Newborn Photo Guide

Pregnancy is a journey

Being a mom of 4 beautiful children, I understand the hardships that we must endure to create precious babies. Perhaps you have not reached these moments yet, from back aches, to feeling nauseous, swelling feet, and constant fatigue. We sometimes forget the most wonderful parts, from having radiant hair like never before, glowing skin, and extra curves in the right places. Embracing the benefits can help ensure that you have the confidence that you should feel and sheer joy of what is to come. Your path to motherhood in Jacksonville, FL has some advantages, like not having to deal with snow, even though when your overheating the cool temperature would be welcoming. When planning to do your Maternity photo session first thing you will have to think about is indoors or outdoors. While both have advantages and disadvantages, you have to think of what you would want to achieve from the photos. Below I put a pros & cons comparison to help with the decision process.

Sleep is an essential part of feeling & looking great. As sleep gets harder I would recommend investing in a body pillow to reduce back pain and tossing and turning all night. Taking extra moments to do nice walks will help relax you and reduce your stress. Yes all these things will help make your photography session turn even more magical.

Typically we like to schedule our maternity sessions between 28-36 weeks depending on your personal comfort and availability. Unless you have twins like I did, that changes the timelines a lot earlier. The goal is to have some roundness while also retaining enough mobility for posing. If you have specific ideas you would to discuss or questions in general feel free to contact us. Don't worry if you are not sure how to pose and what to do, we will guide you along and help you pose while making sure you are comfortable and most importantly enjoying yourself.

We like to schedule newborns at the same time as maternity sessions, even though they are tentative dates. It helps us plan for their arrival. Plus, your first thought is not I need to schedule my photographer, when your giving birth, I reassure you it is not what you will be thinking about at the moment. But like most things when so much is happening in our lives, time will pass quickly and we will forget to schedule these or get to them too late to capture what we wanted in the first place. We do book far in advance to make sure we can accommodate changes and not overbook ourselves.

There is a large community in the Jacksonville Moms group and has lots of information you may be thinking about in the future. Check them out Jacksonville Mom and they even provide info on where activities are happening or meet-ups for parents.

Pros & Cons in Jacksonville Florida for Outdoor vs Studio Maternity session

We do both indoor & outdoor sessions

Our Commercial Studio is located at 1807 Rogero Rd, Jacksonville FL

We created a great list for our outdoor photo spots Here

Maternity Session Day of

On your session day we strong encourage you to get plenty of rest the night before. Ensure to set aside any props, dresses, or special items you want to include in your photos. Arrive early, since sometimes traffic and other circumstances can cause us to be late.

Maternity Photography Session Tips

• Moisturize that belly!
• Gather your props to bring along – ultrasound printout, alphabet blocks that spell your baby’s name, baby shoes, stuffed animals, flowers, whatever you’ve seen in other maternity photos that you like.
• Wear whatever you feel comfortable and pretty in – long, flowy skirts, especially solids are nice, and strapless bras that coordinate with them. Tube dresses are great for showing off your shape. Bring a pair of regular jeans, not the belly panel ones. A button-up shirt also makes it easy to transition into showing your belly.
• If you’re doing semi-nude/implied nude photos, bras and underwear will create noticeable lines on your skin, so wear loose-fitting clothing to the shoot. You can add undergarments as necessary for photos later in the shoot.
• Do bring your significant other! They’ll make a great prop for your photos, and greatly expand on the number of different photos you can make during your shoot. They should bring outfits that coordinate with what you’ll be wearing, or a dark long-sleeved shirt or sweater and dark pants. The focus should always be on you, your expressions, your emotions, your personality, your joy and your connection.

Newborn Photography session Guide

• Use a washcloth to clean away flaky skin and eye boogers
• Trim those tiny fingernails and toenails with appropriate baby trimmers
• The perfect time to shoot is right when the baby would be laying down for a nap. If your baby sleeps after feed, wait until you're about to do the photo session to do the feed. You are welcome to feed at the studio!
• Dress up paper diapers, with decorative covers, solid colors preferred. Cloth diapers are classy and stylish.
• Nothing is the best wardrobe for a newborn, most don’t fit well. Accessories are good, little hats, headbands, crocheted items. Bring sentimental items like quilts, baby blankets.