Hello there, and congratulations - you have booked a pregnancy photoshoot with Nordic Tales Photography… and you are probably wondering what to expect?
I know from experience, how wonderful - and at the same time, demanding, confusing and challenging a pregnancy can be. There is so much pressure for women to just ‘glow, shine and enjoy’ while many of my clients report back to me that they don’t exactly feel their very best and are often quite insecure in their own skin.
I can promise you one thing - we will make you glow and shine, in a setting, that is comfortable for you, where you can relax, and where you feel your personality and style is reflected.
We have many options - from shooting in your own home, to shooting in my home (studio) or outdoor, with Stockholm’s fantastic city or nature backdrops. You select, and we will plan accordingly!
The first question I will always ask when we plan a pregnancy shoot, is if you have a backdrop in mind! Depending on your choice, I will suggest a few spots that work well in the season - and believe it or not, there is quite some magic in finding a good spot! So often, the difference to a regular phone picture is exactly this - how the background looks like and where the light comes from. Scouting for these locations, that work for the time in the day when we shoot, is something that takes many test runs and trials, before everything is set perfectly and I know where to take you.
The choice you have to make, is if you prefer a city backdrop, or rather shoot out in nature. Stockholm has it all, and the choice is yours! Depending on the season, I will give a few recommendations. Let me show you a few examples here!
Winter
Spring
All the spring flowers start to come out around March and April. This is the unique opportunity to use those as a backdrop! Some flexibility is required, as there are usually just a few days where the flowers are on full bloom and the weather is gentle enough for photoshoots. I shoot these pictures mostly in Djurgården and Hammarby Sjöstad.
Summer
Early summer is all about pictures by the water. We shoot in Storägen, Nacka, where we have a unique blend of lake, forest and beautiful surroundings. If you are brave enough, you can also take a dip into the water! :)
Autumn
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Winter
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It’s the most frequently asked question, so I will address it right in the beginning - what to wear? :)
Taking a pregnancy portrait is a little celebration of all the curves your body has created so far. Maybe you don’t feel like it right now, but believe me, one day you will look back in total awe on what magical thing it was that your body has created, and how absolutely beautiful you looked.
And I would also like to share a funny observation I had once I started taking pictures of babies and children - the cutest and most wonderful creatures on this planet: That is, also babies and children have pretty bad angles! And if we can agree that babies are just too adorable, yet, photographed from the wrong angle look… rather strange… can you believe me that we will find very flattering and beautiful angles for you and your growing belly? YES! And now, that this is out of the way…
The wardrobe! Depending if we shoot inside or outside in slight variation, one thing holds true: Wear something tight around your belly! Tight dresses, long tight jumpers - you name it! And on top, cardigans or coats, something that is soft and moves usually works very well!
In terms of colours, this is up to your taste of course - personally I’m a big fan of all beige, creme, white outfits when it comes to pregnancy … and soft fabrics and knitted or woolly tops just give the softness in the pictures wer are looking for!
I’ve collected a few examples here:
Not only are accessories are a fun way to play with your outfit, they also give you something to do, something to hold and to focus on during the photoshoot!
Hats and scarves are fantastic examples, also because the create movement in the picture and usually work well with any outfit!
When it comes to jewellery, keep it simple and not too distracting! You can put all your efforts into a manicure and pedicure - because be prepared, your hands will show prominently on the pictures, and if we shoot indoors, I will probably also ask you (and your partner!) to take your shoes off! :)
Also think of your new baby and if there are any items you would like to capture in the pictures: Maybe the first (or last) ultrasound picture? Some cute first baby shoes or a toy that has a nostalgic meaning or you got from a special friend? Anything that works in your imagination works for me. Just bring it along and we will see, how we can best incorporate it into the shoot!
Depending on the package you booked, you can also make use of my rental pregnancy wardrobe! I’ll have a few items to choose once you arrive - if you arrive in one outfit that you like, I’m sure we will find a few interesting alternatives too!
Are you curious what items I currently have in my rental wardrobe? You can find them here!
If you have opted for the indoor and outdoor combination in my home (studio) in Storängen, you can expect the most versatile pregnancy shoot with many different options.
My home (studio) is located in a beautiful 19th century villa in Storängen, Nacka. It’s my home - and also a fantastic and private studio space, that offers many opportunities for more intimate pictures in a beautifully lit, well-designed environment. Because I know that every mother has her own style, I recommend you browsing through a few of my images and bringing along your own outfit. I have a few options also that you can use, but I know that most people feel more comfortable in their own (and below I will give a few tipps on what to choose!)
You can expect some beautifully composed images in a home environment and also a few clean portraits in front of the famous white wall. Bring a few outfits that you want to try, and we can make sure you have many different shots available to choose from. Bringing little artefacts for the baby - ultrasound pictures, little shoes or toys, that have a special meaning to you is also always a good idea.
Outdoors, we have some fantastic options to choose from in Sweden’s best outdoors. Then home (studio) is located right on the edge of Nacka nature reserve and a beautiful lake. We will pick different locations depending on the season and time of the day - my favourite time for photoshoots are the golden hours after sunrise and before sunset, this just adds the magic to the pictures!
If you have booked a pregnancy shoot outdoors, we have so many locations to choose from - and I’m happy to advise you depending on the season!
There are many secret spots that I like to take my customers to! Depending on what you picked, I’m advising on the outfits - as you can see, they always somehow match the background!
With spring flowers, we like to wear pinks and soft pastels to draw even more attention to the beautiful flowers. In summer, long dresses work like a charm and you can experiment with more colours! In autumn when the beautiful yellow leaves are out, we always go for saturated colours - dark brown, dark red, mustard yellow. And in winter, the light and bright wardrobes are back in the game!
I’m always happy to review your outfit if you send me your ideas before the shoot and let you know what I think works best!
What’s the best angles on a pregnancy shoot? Well, I can tell you, for once in your life you can really show off your belly - the bigger, the curvier, the better! :)
Bellies really are the ‘stars of the show’ and therefore, I will always ask you to stand on an angle so I can see you from a profile, to touch your belly, have a hand on top or on the bottom to really showcase every beautiful curve.
Another photographer’s tipp I can give is that triangles somehow look good on pictures… so when you stand, try to have your leg or arm slightly angled, never just ‘straight hanging down’. And on the topic, if you do your photoshoot with your partner - you might as well use your hands to touch each other! Affection really shows if we are close, literally standing close, touching each other, leaning onto each other, putting heads together… you get what I mean! :) The closer you get, the better, so no need to be shy when you meet me!
This was a lot of information to digest! So I want to close this of saying that I’m so looking forward to meet you, and to make this a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you!
If you have any questions in the meantime, just reach out - you can literally ask me anything!
