I can’t believe I’m 39 weeks in these photos! So many women told me that pregnancy would fly by in no time, but actually it’s been the exact opposite. It feels like it’s been years since I was pregnant and I couldn’t even imagine my body without a bump just a few days ago. If you haven’t already seen Snapchat, Annabelle was born December 23rd, but more on that later:) I recently re-watched my eight week pregnancy update and I was so shocked at the site of my flat tummy! It’s insane to me the power of a women’s body and how it’s capable of growing a life inside. As much as my first and second trimester syptoms affected how I felt about pregnancy, it was all worth it once little Annabelle was in our arms. It’s no secret I love playing around with photography. I love the entire process from setting up the background, adjusting the light, figuring out the best angles, and editing the final product. I initially wanted to take boudoir pictures as a wedding gift to Doug, but since we found out we were pregnant before our wedding I thought I would just wait and do some maternity style instead! I’m definitely not the most comfortable posing in a “scandelous” way, but I thought now is the time to document the bump because I don’t know if I will get to again! At 39 weeks I was trying to soak up the last few moments of carrying our baby girl.

I wanted to share a few tips for shooting indoor photography “boudoir” style:

• If you like light and airy photographs like I do, then shoot in natural light. We didn’t end up using any light boxes for these photos, but instead positioned my body towards the sliding glass door in our master bedroom during the brightest time of the day.
• This is a random tip, but after shooting multiple boudoir sessions a few years ago, I found that women tend to look better in boudoir photographs with a little color on their skin. Now I know this tip isn’t for everyone, but if you want my opinion, then put on a layer of self tanner (or get a professional spray tan) and against the white background, your skin will look glowing! My favorite instant tan is from Loving Tan in the shade ‘ultra dark’ (Use the code HAYLEYPAIGE to get a free mitt with any purchase).
• Play up the natural features of your face. Whenever I used to shoot other people’s pictures (and my own) I found that the more defined the lips are, the bolder the lashes, and the stronger the contour always made for better looking images!
• Don’t stress it! Shooting intimate pictures of yourself (or with your husband) can be daunting. First off, your 8 or 9 months pregnant, feeling bloated and probably cranky/hungry, and you may not feel your best. Just remember to relax and take it one photo at a time. When the first few don’t come out right (somtimes it can be the first 10!), try and have patience and work with what you’ve got! Also, make sure to eat beforehand and shoot when you have lots of energy!

*A few other technical tips, Doug shot these images with a Canon 6D with a 24-105mm f4 and I edited them in Adobe Lightroom 5. All I did to edit them was increased the luminence on the orange setting, upped the whites, darkened my lashes, lowered the shadows, smoothed out my bump by decreasing the clarity, and lowered the blacks.

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