30+ Photos to Take Before Your Due Date (Maternity Photoshoot ideas!)
I speak from experience when I say that you can NEVER take enough bump pictures. Seriously, you want to know how many I have from my second pregnancy…? Probably could count them on one hand and it completely breaks my heart that I don’t have more.
Before we start browsing photo inspiration, I want to share some of my favorite tips on how to take great photos with your iPhone!
I can guarantee you a vast majority of the photos shown below were taken with a phone and editing software was used. Let’s talk about how these instagram-worthy photos were achieved.
Lighting
Lighting is the key to a great photo. Bright and airy beats dark and shadowy any day. The best way to bring light to your photos is with natural light. Avoid a flash at all cost!
Now natural light does not mean direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can actually make a photo much worse. You want the space to be well-lit but not in a blinding way. So open up the window or get outside for your photos! If it still ends up a little dark, no worries! I’ve got some great ways you can edit your photos below.
Use a Tripod
A tripod is a must-have tool when taking photos.
I ordered the tripod below for Amazon for a great price. It folds up super small and comes with a little carrying pack. You just snap your phone in and set the timer! If you need a longer timer, I suggest the Timer Cam app (free!) You can find the tripod here on Amazon.
Focus
Your iPhone is completely capable of creating a “blurred background”, you just have to learn how to maneuver it.
First of all, play around with the yellow box. When you have your camera open, touch the screen and move the yellow focus box over your desired object. Always try to move your desired subject as far away from the background that you want to be blurred. If you have your daughter stand directly in front of a flowered bush, your camera doesn’t have enough room to work with. Try having her stand 2-3 feet in front of it instead.
If you want to achieve an even heavier blurred background, see the editing section below.
Rule of thirds
Step one to mastering the rule of thirds- turn on your camera grid!
You can do this from settings>Camera>Grid ON!
The grid will divide your screen up into thirds. You will notice that there are four places on the grid where the lines cross and make a point. Aim to make one of this your focal point of the photo. For example, in the photo below, Emmy’s face is in the top left connection point.
This rule simply makes your photos more appealing than if your subject was dead center. It isn’t always easy to get kids to stay perfectly still, but when you can, aim for the rule of thirds!
Editing
While I rarely have to edit photos taken with my DSLR camera, I don’t always have it with my and resort to my iPhone.
Most of my iPhone photos need some sort of cropping and color editing.
My favorite tool to use for this kind of editing is Snapseed (free!!). My goal when editing photos is to make them bright, airy, and vibrant. I mainly work within the “tune image” setting. Here are some of my go-to adjustments:
- Increase Brightness
- Increase Highlights
- Decrease Shadows
- Increase Saturation
How much I am adjusting depends on the starting condition of the photo.
If you are looking to achieve even more of blurred background with your iPhone photos, you can also do so with Snapseed under the “lens blur” tool.
They also have a wonderful tool called “glamor glow”. It gives skin an airy and flawless feel. Use it sparingly though. It can easily make your photos look over-edited and very fake.
Here’s an example photo that I edited using ONLY the above-mentioned adjustments (minus lens blur)
The Best Photos to Take Before Your Due Date
So with that being said, get your camera ready mama! Whether these are professional maternity photos or snapped by your significant other with an iPhone, I hope they inspire you to document this wonderful time of your life in fun and creative ways!
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