Maternity shoots are becoming standard practice. Like weddings, it’s only natural to want to capture those special moments in anticipation of the arrival of your little bundle of joy. Natasha and Carmen from Nestling Photography do just that.

Their love of photography follows through childhood. Natasha remembers getting her first film camera at the age of 5 and even when the camera ran out of film, she would still put the camera to her face and take imaginary photos. Carmen, on the other hand, would climb peach trees and rooftops to get that perfect shot, even at the age of 7!

Maternity photograph by Nestling - mother holding her belly

Nestling’s photography style

They describe their specific style as white, whimsical and soft – “we love intimate moments, flowy dresses and those cute giggles between mom and dad-to-be”. They further describe their work as a compilation of stories; having the priviledge to capture emotions, moments and memories.

Maternity photograph by Nestling - father-to-be holding his wife's belly

How to make mommy feel beautiful

When it comes to maternity shoots, it is essential that your model – and a real woman whose body is going through immense change – feels beautiful and comfortable in front of the camera.
Here are a few aspects which the ladies at Nestling feel aid in creating a relaxed environment:

  1. Communication is key! Affirm that the client is looking beautiful and let them know how very excited you are to be part of this amazing chapter in their lives.
  2. Little extras go a long way! Make sure you always have delicious coffee and fresh juice for the “mama”. Take breaks often, chat about random things and laugh a lot!
  3. Love! Natasha believes that if you show some love, they will feel it too. There is “nothing more comforting” than that.

Take note: The jeans and T-shirts combo, magenta dresses and skew eyeliner is a big no-no.

Maternity photograph by Nestling - The mother is in 'n blue dress holding her belly with dad standing next to her holding his wife
Maternity photograph by Nestling - Mommy to be holding her belly standing on the beach

The dream maternity shoot

Natasha describes her dream maternity shoot as one where the mommy is wearing a white, lacey, couture gown that perfectly showcases her belly, whilst being adorned with soft, cascading curls and beautiful red lips: “There will be big windows with rushing bursts of natural light and French décor accents all over the room, peonies dispersed over the bed, and endless cuddles and giggles!”

Maternity photograph by Nestling - Mom and daddy sitting on a couch, looking into each others' eyes lovingly
Maternity photograph by Nestling - Daddy kissing his wife on her shoulder, holding her belly.

Essential maternity photography gear

Maternity photograph by Nestling - The mother wearing a tight grey dress is standing against a white wall.
Maternity photograph by Nestling - Mommy to be holding her belly looking outside a window

Beyond marketing

Nestling has been featured on The Pretty Blog and Top Billing, and in Sarie magazine. They give all their credit to the fact that they work on building relationships with people. “Be kind, open and good to people. What you sew is what you reap” and people will always remember the way you made them feel. Who you are as a person is your brand – you can’t separate the two!

Natasha and Carmen work really hard at building and preserving their growing business, Nestling. You won’t go wrong with following their maternity photography tips and tricks, and their photos are sure to inspire you to get a fresh new perspective on maternity photography as a whole.

Maternity photograph by Nestling - Mom and dad sitting on a cement bench smiling beautifully.
Maternity photograph by Nestling - Dad lovingly kissing mommy-to-be on the shoulder
Maternity photograph by Nestling - Mommy with bright red lips, smiling while holding her belly
Maternity photograph by Nestling - Pretty over the shoulder photograph of mommy-to-be
Maternity photograph by Nestling - Mom and daddy sitting on a small looking into one anothers' eyes
Maternity photograph by Nestling - mommy-to-be standing in a grey flowing dress, holding her belly.