Capture the start of your journey to parenthood
There’s just a few weeks to go before your new baby arrives and you’re feeling excited (and maybe a little nervous, too!). Celebrate the magic and anticipation of pregnancy with professional maternity photography by the top-rated photographer in the area. After all, these are your last photographs before two becomes three!
The best time for maternity photos is usually between the 30-35 weeks mark. After this time, you might feel too uncomfortable to enjoy the shoot, and you never know if baby will make a slightly early appearance!
If your bump is quite petite, you might want to wait until nearer 35-weeks; however, I know exactly how to emphasise your bump (and make sure you look fantastic, too!), so anytime during the 30-35 week range is perfect.
And don’t worry if you feel unconfident, or if you’ve never done anything like this before. I will put you at ease, show you what you need to do and make sure you enjoy yourself the whole time, too!
“Fantastic maternity shoot with Sarah. There was a real focus on fun and laughter which helped to capture the excitement of the impending birth. We are so happy with the photos which are a great way to remember the journey to parenthood. Sarah helped us to feel completely relaxed which allowed us to enjoy the experience. We are so grateful to Sarah and have already booked her to do our baby shoot, too.”
David, maternity photography client from Bicester, Oxfordshire
Bump to Baby | Maternity & Newborn Package
If you’re looking to book your newborn photography shoot at the same time as your maternity photos, then my Bump to Baby Package is perfect.
I charge a £125 session fee for the Bump to Baby package which includes:
- A pre-shoot consultation by phone or email, so I can get to know you and find out what you’re looking for from your photos.
- A beautifully illustrated Welcome Pack posted to your home. This includes my Maternity Guide, Outfit Guide and Newborn Guide to help you get the most from each of your photoshoots.
- A midweek one-hour maternity photoshoot for your bump pictures at my Bicester photography studio, including use of my Maternity Gown Collection.
- A midweek two-to-three hour newborn photoshoot at my Bicester studio (with family portraits included, if you’d like them).
- A saving of £25 on the session fee compared to booking two separate photoshoots.
- £25 credit towards image purchases from each shoot (£50 credit in total)
After each photoshoot, you can choose what you’d like to buy, whether that’s a Digital Keepsake Collection, an Heirloom Album or Wall Art.
You’ll see your maternity portraits a week or so after your maternity shoot, and decide which ones to keep at that point.
A week after your newborn shoot, you’ll then see the ones from that shoot, and make a separate decision on those.
Please note that you cannot include images from both photoshoots within one Collection; however you do get £25 credit towards whatever you order each time.
As well as digital-only collections I offer stunning Framed Wall Art, timeless Heirloom Albums and Fine Art Canvases, all created by the top lab in the UK. For full details of available products, click here.
“I was really nervous about having my photo taken but Sarah made me feel really comfortable. The photos she has taken are really lovely and it is something I will treasure forever. I would 100% recommend Sarah to anyone thinking about having their photos taken, especially for family events and occasions. Thank you so much!”
Chloe, maternity photography client from Brackley, Northamptonshire
What should I wear for my maternity photos?
Once you’ve booked your shoot with me, I’ll send you my Maternity Guide. This is full of suggestions and tips for what to bring to your photoshoot from your everyday maternity wear.
However, there are three additional options available to you:
- You can wear one of my Maternity Gowns.
- We can capture some ‘implied nude’ maternity photos.
- You can use my Maternity Dress Buy-Back Scheme (see below).
“I don’t think we could have found anybody better than Sarah to capture so many special moments for us. Starting with our maternity shoot, through to Amaira’s baby shoot, Sarah’s attention to detail and calm demeanour made the entire process fun and enjoyable. We are so pleased with the results, it’s very difficult to put into words, just how much we love to endorse Sarah. She’s just brilliant! Thank you so much!”
Sanj, Maternity Photography client from Bicester, Oxfordshire
Maternity Gowns
I have a collection of stunning maternity gowns which you can wear during your photoshoot, including full-length dresses in white, ivory, black, peach and silver. Some cover your bump fully, while others have a slit under the bust where the fabric falls away, revealing your bump. Some of my maternity gowns are opaque, some are transparent and others are mixed, with textured lace fabric wrapping around your form. Click here to read about each one.
“My Fiancé and I had a wonderful experience in Sarah’s studio, shooting my maternity images. Sarah made us feel comfortable and confident by getting us laughing and talking about us as a couple, with little games. We would highly recommend Sarah to any of our friends and family and are looking forward to have her take our newborn photos when our baby girl arrives.”
Amy, maternity photoshoot client from Wallingford, Oxfordshire
Implied nude
Implied nude maternity portraits are fine-art-style images in which your modesty is protected by careful placement of your hands, legs or even fabric. The rest of your body is uncovered, showing off your bump in a classy, artful way. The image below is an example of an implied nude maternity portrait.
We’ll discuss all the options during your pre-shoot consultation so you can decide which (or all!) of the options above you’d like to try during your maternity shoot. Remember, you choose which images you’d like to keep once you see them, so there’s nothing to lose by stepping outside of your comfort zone. In fact, those might become your favourite images!
“We booked in for a maternity shoot for my second pregnancy and the results were more than we could have hoped for. Not only was Sarah super helpful during the planning stages, she was amazing on the shoot too. Sarah made us all feel so relaxed and we had an awesome time! Looking forward to when my little one makes their appearance for our newborn shoot with her too!”
Nadia, Maternity Photography client from Bedfordshire
Maternity Dress Buy-Back Scheme
I have a collection of maternity gowns which my clients can use for their maternity portraits. If you’d love to wear a colour or style of maternity gown that I don’t currently have, then you could be eligible for my buy-back scheme. Send a website link to the dress and if I agree to add it to my collection, go ahead and purchase it.
After you’ve worn the dress at your shoot, hand it over to me and I’ll provide credit equal to the cost of the dress towards your image purchases. For example, if you buy a £50 dress for the shoot (that we both agree on beforehand), then leave the dress with me afterwards you’ll get £50 to spend on your portraits. This means you get to wear a brand-new dress that you love, without it costing you anything extra!
“It was an amazing experience. Sarah made us feel very comfortable and we felt like real models. The result was even better that what we expected. Thanks Sarah.”
Maria, Maternity Photography client from Bicester, Oxfordshire
How it works
First of all, email over any initial questions you may have to [email protected]. I’ll answer them and send you my price list and shoot Ts&Cs. If you’d like to go ahead, I’ll send over an invoice for the session fee which reserves your maternity shoot at my Bicester studio.
We can then book in a convenient time for your pre-shoot consultation. This is our chance to get to know each other and start planning your shoot. Normally this is via a phone call but if it’s more convenient to plan everything by email, or if you’d prefer to pop over to my studio for an in-person chat, just say!
If you’d like a professional makeover before the start of your shoot, let me know as soon as possible. I work with the multi-award winning hair and makeup artist Kate Walker from Ruby Rouge and she gets booked up quickly! Some of my clients just want a little help with their hair, some just need their makeup done while others opt for both – it’s totally up to you.
“I chose Sarah for my maternity shoot because of how she made me feel about the experience. My husband also joined in with part of the shoot, and considering he was not looking forward to being photographed, he felt it was a good experience for us, having been made comfortable by Sarah in her home studio. I’d recommend Sarah to anyone who wants to get natural shots, with a comfortable atmosphere in the style that you feel comfortable with.”
Jane, Maternity Photography client from Bicester, Oxfordshire
Before your pre-shoot consultation, why not search for ‘maternity’ using the box at the top of this website to see a selection of relevant shoots, so you get a better idea of what you like? Scroll through and note down any images you particularly do or don’t love, so I can get a better idea of your preferences.
If you’ve got any specific shots you’d like to capture, or any props you’d like to include – such as a pair of baby shoes or your scan photo, for example – just let me know and I can include these in my shoot plan.
I’ll also send over my Maternity Guide, which is full of tips and useful information that will help you get the most from your shoot. If you’d like further advice on what to wear, you can lay out or try on your outfits and send me a quick snap for feedback.
On the day of the shoot, simple turn up and relax; I’ll take it from here. I’ll direct you through a series of natural-looking but flattering poses, and we’ll play a few fun games to help everyone relax. The time will fly past and you’ll be so excited to see your sneak peek from the shoot the following week!
Then, about two weeks after your shoot, I’ll send you a link to an online gallery containing 20 beautiful, hand-edited images for you to choose from. There will be smiles, laughter and possibly even tears.
At this point, you can choose what you want to keep, with absolutely no pressure whatsoever: buy only what you love. But be warned: you’ll probably love them all!
I offer Digital Collections (which include high resolution digital files), stunning Framed Wall Art, timeless Heirloom Albums and Fine Art Canvases, all created by the top lab in the UK. Click here for full details of what’s available.
“My husband and I had a ‘Bump’ pregnancy photoshoot with Sarah a few weeks ago and we are so glad we did!! Sarah was amazing with us and made us feel at ease the whole way through, considering we had never done anything like this before we couldn’t believe how comfortable Sarah made us feel throughout. She knew exactly how to get us to smile so it was natural in the photos, and knew the perfect ways to get beautiful photos. I’m so glad we found Sarah for our photoshoot, and now we have beautiful memories of our pregnancy to put up on the wall.”
Toni and Marc, Maternity Photography clients from Wootton, Oxfordshire
How to book
If you’d like to get booked in, or if you have any questions about maternity photography with me, please get in contact:
Sarah Plater AMPA is a multi-award-winning qualified, certified professional portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.
She is the Master Photographers Association Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 and Young Families Photographer of the Year 2022 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).
