One of the most common things I hear from new maternity clients during our initial conversation is some version of this:
“I don’t really know what to expect. I’ve never done this before.”
Sometimes it’s said with excitement. Sometimes with nervousness. Sometimes with the particular kind of uncertainty that comes from having seen a lot of maternity photos online and not being sure how any of that actually happens in real life.
So let me walk you through it. Not the aspirational version — the real version. What actually happens from the moment you book to the moment you receive your gallery.
After 25 years of photographing expecting mothers in Saint Paul and across the Twin Cities, I’ve learned that the clients who feel most comfortable in their sessions are the ones who arrived knowing what to expect. This post is for you.
Before the Session: What Happens After You Book
The Consultation
After you book, we’ll have a brief consultation — usually by phone or email — where I learn about you, your pregnancy, your vision for the session, and any specific preferences or concerns you have.
I’ll ask about the look and feel you’re hoping for. Do you want something soft and natural? Editorial and dramatic? Simple and intimate? Outdoors or in the studio? I’ll ask about your partner’s involvement if that’s relevant, and about any specific images you have in mind.
This conversation shapes everything that comes after. It ensures that when you arrive at your session, we’re working toward a vision rather than improvising from scratch.
The Style Guide
After your consultation, I send you a detailed style guide covering everything you need to know about preparing for your session.
This includes:
Outfit guidance — what colors, fabrics, and silhouettes photograph well, what to avoid, and how to build a look that works for your specific body and the aesthetic you’re going for. I also have a client wardrobe available at the studio — a selection of maternity gowns in neutral tones that clients can borrow at no additional cost.
Skin and hair prep — simple things you can do in the days before your session to feel your best without overthinking it.
Practical logistics — what to bring, when to arrive, how to handle it if you’re not feeling well.
The style guide takes the guesswork out of preparation. Most clients tell me afterward that it made them feel significantly more confident going into the session.
The Day of Your Session: What to Expect
Arriving at the Studio or Location
I always ask clients to arrive a few minutes early — not because sessions run on a rigid clock, but because a calm, unhurried arrival sets the tone for everything that follows.
When you walk through the door of my Saint Paul studio, you’ll find a space that’s warm, quiet, and designed specifically for portrait work. It’s not a converted living room or a rented event space. It’s a dedicated studio environment that I’ve built and refined over 25 years.
If we’re shooting outdoors, we’ll meet at the agreed location. I’ll have scouted the spot in advance and will know exactly where the light falls and which areas will work best for your session.
The First Few Minutes
The first thing I do when a client arrives is slow everything down.
There’s no immediate rush to start shooting. I take a few minutes to just talk — to let you settle in, get comfortable, shake off the drive over and the logistics of getting yourself there. If your partner is with you, I include them in that initial conversation.
This matters more than it might seem. The images from the beginning of a session, when everyone is still a little stiff and self-conscious, look different from the images made twenty minutes in, when people have relaxed and forgotten to perform. A few minutes of human connection at the start is one of the most important things I do in any session.
How I Direct the Session
This is the part people are most uncertain about before they arrive, so I want to be specific.
I direct everything. You don’t need to know what poses to do or how to stand or what to do with your hands. That’s my job.
I give clear, gentle direction throughout the session — where to move, how to angle your body, where to place your hands, how to shift your weight. I give prompts that produce real expressions rather than told-to-smile ones.
For outdoor sessions, there’s often a lot of natural movement — walking, turning, looking out at a view — that produces images with a loose, effortless quality that purely static poses don’t achieve.
For studio sessions, I use a combination of simple poses and genuine interaction that creates images ranging from classic and clean to warm and intimate.
At no point should you feel lost or unsure of what to do. If something I’ve asked for doesn’t feel comfortable, tell me and we’ll try something different.
How Long Does a Maternity Session Take?
Most of my maternity sessions run between 1 and 2 hours, depending on the number of looks and locations.
I don’t rush. If a setup is working beautifully, I stay with it. If something isn’t clicking, I shift rather than force it. The goal is always the images, not the clock.
If you’re working with multiple outfits — which I often recommend — we’ll build in time for changes. I try to structure outfit changes so they feel natural rather than disruptive to the flow of the session.
Late in pregnancy, comfort becomes a real consideration. I build in more rest and movement breaks for clients who are 35 weeks or beyond. Your physical comfort is not a secondary concern — it directly affects the quality of the images.
What About Partner Involvement?
If your partner is joining you for part or all of the session, I treat their involvement as a genuine priority rather than an afterthought.
I’ll work with both of you together, giving direction that draws out real connection rather than manufactured poses. And I’ll make time for solo images of you as well — because both sets of images matter and both deserve proper attention.
For partners who are nervous about being photographed, I want to say: you are in good hands. I’ve worked with thousands of partners over 25 years, including many who arrived convinced they were terrible subjects. Almost all of them are surprised by the images.
After the Session: What Happens Next
Editing and Gallery Delivery
After your session I begin the editing process. I cull through the images and select the strongest shots from the session — the ones with the best light, expression, connection, and composition.
Editing is not just color correction. It’s the process of bringing the images to their full potential — ensuring the light is balanced, the tones are consistent, the images have the warmth and clarity that makes them timeless rather than trendy.
Gallery delivery timelines vary — I’ll give you a specific estimate based on my current workload when you book. Most clients receive their galleries within 2 to 4 weeks of their session.
Selecting and Printing Your Images
When your gallery arrives, you’ll have a period of time to review, select your favorites, and choose any prints or products you’d like to order.
I offer a range of finished artwork options — wall prints, framed images, heirloom albums. I’ll walk you through everything so you can make choices that feel right for your home and your budget.
The digital files are beautiful. But I always encourage clients to print something — even just one or two images. A photo on a screen is seen. A photo on a wall is lived with. The difference in how deeply it affects you is significant.
What Makes a Maternity Session With Me Different
I want to be honest about something.
There are a lot of photographers in the Twin Cities who offer maternity sessions. Some of them are excellent. Some of them are not.
What I offer is 25 years of specialized experience with maternity and newborn clients — the kind of experience that makes the session feel easy rather than effortful, that produces images that look timeless rather than trend-dependent, and that treats the emotional reality of pregnancy with the care and attention it deserves.
I work with a limited number of clients each month. I don’t overbook. Every session I take gets my full preparation and full attention.
And I’ve been doing this long enough to know what matters and what doesn’t. What to spend time on and what to let go of. How to make a nervous person feel comfortable and how to catch the image that makes everyone in the room go quiet.
That’s what 25 years looks like. Not more gear. Not a bigger studio. Just deeper knowing.
If that’s the experience you’re looking for, I’d love to connect.
Want to go into your maternity session feeling completely prepared? Download my free Maternity Session Prep Guide — it covers what to wear, how to prepare your skin and hair, what to bring, and how to get the most out of your session. Drop your email below and I’ll send it right to you.
