So, I get it. I was once pregnant, uncomfortable and bloated. I know what it feels like to not feel your best and “grow out” of all of your clothes. But even though I didn’t feel like taking photos, I truly wish someone had convinced me, posed me and made me feel beautiful. I would love to have gorgeous maternity portraits of myself. Instead, I ended up with a shot of me with a plate of Thanksgiving dinner resting on my huge belly with a double chin that went for days.
Read more – Maternity Photos: A Different Perspective
Most of the pregnant women that come to me aren’t necessarily looking to do a maternity session- just to document their new little one, but I often end up booking them for maternity sessions as well. Want to know my secrets? Here we go!
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No.01
Tell her you will make her look beautiful. I know it sounds simple, but the mother has to trust you enough to photograph her at one of her most vulnerable times. Wouldn’t it make her trust you so much more if you just tell her how you are going to make her look?
Once I started assuring the mama that I would hide all the “flaws” she didn’t want to see and make her radiance shine through, she trusted me to do it. In short, have confidence in yourself!
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No.02
Have a slight discount for booking newborn and maternity sessions together. People love a deal and if you allow for a discount on reserving the two, people will go for it more often.
If your maternity session retainer is $150 and your newborn session is $200, offer a $25 discount on the newborn to give them an incentive to book. Make a plan to recover those costs elsewhere in your product sales, but it can help people make the plunge to purchase a session.
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No.03
Provide the wardrobe. The hardest part about a session is figuring out what you are going to wear for it right? Can you imagine if you weighed 25-60 lbs more than usual and were trying to find a beautiful dress that fits to wear only an hour or so? Yeah, it sounds like fun to me too!
As a photographer, you know what is flattering on a baby bump, so why not have some things handy for sessions? My clients love that they can “shop” in my studio and find something that fits them! The clothes don’t have to be expensive, they just have to fit and be flattering, so be on the lookout for pieces that can work. This can be a great tipping point for mothers when deciding to book.
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No.04
Include hair and makeup. It is helpful to have someone at the ready who is a professional to get those mamas photograph ready and if you work it into your session retainer it is a huge bonus to mom. If you have your hair + makeup artist come to the studio you are going to make her day. Just think about it, hair and makeup combined with shopping from your closet of clothes? That is a huge benefit to her!
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No.05
Have a style that gets noticed. Work hard to discern yourself from other photographers in your area and you will have your clients fall in love with your style. They won’t be able to get that style from anyone else around you and in return you will naturally book more clients.
I hope you try out a few of these tips- they are great ways to help propel your maternity business forward and get to work with more beautiful mamas at an amazing time in their lives!
Great advise, especially number one. Do you have advise on where to get a maternity wardrobe?