A maternity session is one of the most meaningful photography investments you will make. The season of pregnancy is brief, the changes to your body are profound, and the anticipation of who is about to arrive is unlike any other feeling. A well-planned maternity session captures all of it.
Here’s everything you need to know to prepare.
When to Schedule Your Maternity Session
The sweet spot for maternity portraits is between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. At this stage, your bump is beautifully full and visible, but you’re still comfortable enough to move, pose, and enjoy the experience. Waiting too close to your due date introduces risk — babies have a way of arriving on their own schedule.
If you’re also planning a newborn session with Heima Photography, booking both during your second trimester means we can coordinate everything — location, wardrobe, and vision — in a single consultation, so nothing falls through the cracks in those final busy weeks.
What to Wear
Maternity portraits are one of the few times I actively encourage flowing, form-fitting, or draped silhouettes. A dress or skirt that moves beautifully — something in a soft, muted tone or a classic neutral — tends to photograph in a way that feels timeless rather than dated.
Avoid anything with heavy logos, complicated patterns, or stiff fabrics that don’t move with your body. The goal is for your silhouette, your expression, and your connection to be what carries the frame — not the outfit.
When we plan your session together, I share a full wardrobe guide with specific shopping recommendations. You won’t need to figure this out alone.
Should You Bring Your Partner or Other Children?
Absolutely, if that’s part of your story. Some of the most beautiful maternity portraits I’ve made include a partner’s hands, a toddler pressed against a growing belly, or a quiet moment between two parents becoming three. These are not just photos of a body in a beautiful state — they’re portraits of a family on the edge of change.
That said, if you’d like solo portraits that centre you and this season, that’s equally valid and equally beautiful.
Hair and Makeup
I always recommend taking the time for hair and makeup before your maternity session. Not because you don’t look beautiful as you are — you do — but because this is one of the sessions where you will look at these portraits for the rest of your life. Hair and makeup also reduces one source of self-consciousness, which means you show up more relaxed and present.
I can connect you with Calgary-area stylists, including professionals who offer in-home appointments so you don’t have to add another errand to your day.
Location
Maternity sessions can take place in the Heima studio or outdoors. Spring and summer outdoor sessions with full greenery or golden prairie light can be extraordinary. Studio sessions in winter offer warmth, control, and intimacy. We’ll choose together based on your due date, the season, and what feels most like you.
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