Lighting can be a great challenge for baby photographers. Lighting for a maternity portrait is very important and should not be ignored. The most important tip is that you become familiar with the basics while adjusting the lighting setup to suit the particular maternity portrait.
The first thing you need to do is find the right baby photographer for you and your family. Many baby photographers can provide you with their portrait portfolios, which can be found on their company website. Make sure you perform lots of research for this is something very important to you and your family, choosing the right maternity photographer for your pregnancy photography session is very crucial. It will be of the utmost importance for you to feel comfortable with the photographer you choose for this special occasion.
Brollies can create a nice effect for any maternity portrait if you utilize the flashgun back into then while reflecting it out toward the mother. Keep the lighting soft while getting in very close when you utilize this method.
Creating these fabulous maternity portraits, you will need to have the right equipment. A DSLR, flash, tripod and a shutter release are must haves. You will not be able to create quality maternity portraits without this equipment. As a professional baby photographer you want the parents interested in your work to take you seriously, therefore, it is important you have the right equipment to perform maternity portraits.
Shooting maternity portraits for someone who is pregnant can be a very difficult task but also rewarding. You must enjoy children or at least have the patience to deal with children if you plan to become a baby photographer. If you do not I would suggest you find a different avenue for your photography business.
Keeping the lighting simple for maternity portraits will show how volatile you are. Keep in mind that your subjects are pregnant and they can possible move due to an uncomfortable position at any given time, if your lights are positioned well, you can direct the Mom to quickly move into the zone where the lights are positioned. A baby photographer must be prepared for such things.
If you keep two large soft boxes available for Mom this will give you more room for movement. This will allow a much more comfortable feeling while improving the overall atmosphere for the mother and her pregnancy portrait.
As a starting point, baby photographers should use a flat, even light which gives a very pleasing environment with the maternity portrait. Shift the light between 45 and 55 degrees when utilizing more harsh lights. The light should remain close to the camera. If you want to lower the light to soften the shadows, it is always best to keep the ratio within one stop.