Documenting my pregnancy with maternity self portraits

To me, photography is all about pausing time. It’s a way to hold onto fleeting memories and allow them to live on through art. Something I really regret from my first pregnancy is that I didn’t take many photos. I have a handful of cell phone mirror selfies and snapshots here and there. I adore our maternity photos but, as a creative, I wish I would’ve captured that time in an artful or creative way. So during my pregnancy with my second baby, I made a point to document it as much as I could. And to play around creatively along the way as well. I documented my pregnancy with weekly maternity self portraits and feel so much when I look at them now.

Self portraits vs. selfies

These weekly dump date photos were mostly taken in comparison of the size of the baby to the size of a fruit/vegetable. Some of the fruit/veggie to baby comparison photos were inspired by the Youtube vlogger Delilah Loeppy. But others were also captured in a form a creative expression, empowerment in working through body image issues, and precious moments I always want to remember. These are taken with a self-timer, however, they are self portraits for the artful approach. Whereas a selfie would just be a quick, unplanned snapshot.

As a maternity photographer based in Eugene, Oregon these maternity self portraits were a great way to gain more insight to being on the other side of the camera. This was a wonderful tool for me to be better able to model the most flattering poses, have empathy for discomforts, and display understanding that having your photo taken isn’t always easy.

The struggle with self portraits

Through this creative process I discovered many challenges of self portrait photography. For starters, taking portraits of myself is much harder than taking photos of others. I am my own worst critic and became hyperaware of areas of my body that I’m not exceptionally fond of.

Beyond personal criticism, there are also camera operating difficulties that arise when taking self portraits. I’ve never been more frustrated with getting an accurate focus than I am while taking self portraits. In order to document these images, I used an app on my iPhone called Canon connect that acts as a remote. It gives me control over where I want the camera to focus, as well as other camera settings such as ISO, shutter speed and f-stop. But the focus is the most finicky with the remote. So self portrait photography can take a pretty long time. They were also occasionally out of focus.

Another big challenge with self portraits is the ability to spark emotion. My photography style is typically all about honest emotion and candid connection. But with self portrait photography, trying to set a precise focal point, control camera settings, make sure my tripod is level, and so on, while trying to capture my true emotion would be all resting bitch face… hence why my face isn’t in many of these images! haha! This is also why my family are not in many images. I booked a maternity session with another professional photographer because even though I love these weekly bump dates, I still believe booking a maternity session is 100% worth it. Especially when it comes to including my family.

Creative lessons

Beyond the challenges of documenting my little bump dates, I also learned a good amount of lessons to improve on for maternity sessions as your Eugene, Oregon based lifestyle photographer. This entire process gave me a greater understanding of being on the opposite end of the camera. Pregnancy can be filled with numerous discomforts and physical challenges. Maternity self portraits definitely taught me how to avoid a double chin while looking down at my bump and how to model it for your maternity photos. As well as the most flattering angles to pose and how fun shadows and light can be.

Maternity self portraits also gave me the ability to capture a more raw and au natural vibe, such as in the images for 23, 26, and 33 weeks. These images display an intimate style of maternity photos that I would love to capture for other expecting mamas as well! I feel that being able to be vulnerable and show you this side of me can help make it easier for you to feel comfortable in a vulnerable position as well.

Why I believe booking a maternity session is still so worth it

Yeah, I just wrote an entire article about maternity self portraits and now I’m going to tell you that booking a maternity session is still completely worth it! I know, what a nut! But hear me out! There is a different level of beauty in having you and your loves natural connection shine as you laugh, play, and daydream of meeting your new little love! Hiring a maternity photographer is such a beautiful way to document your babies beginning!

My love for motherhood fuels my passion for maternity photography! The bodies ability to stretch, grow, and create life is so fascinating to me. It’s so beautiful to be able to pause this season for other mamas and give you the ability to look back on your glowing and growing body for years to come through beautiful images. It’s such an honor to walk along side you through your motherhood journey. Reach out and let’s chat about scheduling your maternity session now!

Thank you for checking out my journey and taking an interest in what I gained as a photographer from this process. I cannot wait to have you in from of my lens soon!

Warmly,

Amanda

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