If you’re an expectant mother, you’re likely in the process of choosing a photographer and deciding between an outdoor or studio setting for your maternity photos. With over a decade of experience photographing growing baby bumps and newborns, there are several secret ingredients I use to create great images for you. One of those ingredients is location, and it’s my job to help you decide if an outdoor location or my studio is best.

Typically, maternity portraits take place between weeks 29-35, when it’s obvious that you’re expecting but haven’t yet reached the point where you’re really uncomfortable (I’m looking at you swollen ankles!). We book and begin planning your session well in advance of that 29-35 week time frame, and when booking I always go over options more in depth. For now, let’s take a peek at the pros and cons of both.

Outdoor or Studio Maternity Photo Shoot: Which Is Best For You?

Why Choose Outdoor Maternity Portraits

Outdoors Offers Natural Beauty and Relaxed Atmosphere

It’s pretty simple, really. You’re considering an outdoor photo shoot, because you love the look! (And I do too!) Louisville, KY has incredible landscapes to choose from, such as open fields and park-like locations that add a perfect soft backdrop to maternity portraits. Who wouldn’t want an image like the one above? It’s filled with soft green tones, rolling hills and the hint of a sunset in the background, beautiful lighting, and we just so happened to luck out on a pocket of early blooming blackberry bushes. It was a great location! Not every outdoor location is a great one though. I regularly spend hours scouting and choosing locations throughout the year that I know will give you the perfect balance of flattering light and visual beauty.

Outdoors Offers Variety with Your Newborn Portraits

Most families will book a maternity and newborn session and want to keep overall look cohesive. Since newborns are photographed at the studio, outdoor maternity portraits are a great way to include a touch of variety in your finished artwork and your baby’s first year album.

Things to consider

When scheduling outdoors, you’ll always need to be very flexible with weather and available sunlight. If you’ve lived in Kentucky for a any length of time, you know our weather can include all fours seasons in one day! Outdoor sessions are only available spring and fall, and I usually photograph sessions about an hour and a half prior to sunset. I do not schedule outdoor sessions when temps cold or high, for your own safety and well….shivering from cold and being sweaty from humidity just aren’t good looks.

Speaking of looks, when we are outdoors you are still welcome to borrow something from our studio’s wardrobe that is available to all booked clients. The catch is that we simply will not have time for clothing changes. If multiple looks are going to make your heart sing, a studio maternity sessions is definitely the right choice.

Why Choose Studio Maternity Portraits

Studio offers a comfortable experience and year-round availability

The number one reason families choose a studio maternity session is not only that it’s beautiful, but it’s also easy and worry-free. Unlike outdoor photo shoots, you never ever have to think about the weather forecast, the available light, and the possibility of needing to juggle calendars to reschedule. It also means not needing bug spray or worrying about the humidity affecting your hair and makeup. The studio is always the perfect temperature and comfortable year round.

Studio offers a relaxed atmosphere without having to tidy your home

If you’re worried that studio portraits will feel stiff and stuffy, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m often asked if the images on our social sites and website are actually taken at a studio or in someone’s home, because they look and feel light, airy, and really natural. Surprise! I’m happy to answer that yes, they are indeed taken at my studio. I designed our studio to feel like you’re at home, minus the cleaning frenzy to prepare your home to be photo shoot ready. Studio session make it so easy on busy mothers-to-be. You simply arrive hair and makeup ready, and know that everything will be taken care of for you.

Studio offers privacy

Another benefit is privacy! While you are our guest at the studio, you’ll never have the general public interested in watching the couple at a photo shoot like you will at an outdoor location. Let’s admit it, people watching is going to happen, so if you know that would make you a little camera shy, studio is definitely the way to go!

Studio offer light and airy images that will be cohesive with your newborn images

Most of our families choose to work with me, because they love the aesthetic. They come to me for natural, less posed (yet directed) images snuggling their baby in their arms rather than heavily posed images with baby all alone in prop a, b, or c.  I’ll take relaxed, fresh, squishy baby details over trendy props and stiff smiles any day of the week. They also love the beautiful albums that I design for baby’s first year, and want to maintain a cohesive look for both sessions. The studio helps achieve that light, bright, natural look for both sessions. You can see our newborn portfolio here, and studio maternity images in our portfolio or below.

No matter which setting we both decide is best, my hope is that you love what you see, and after your session you’ll see how incredibly easy we’ve made this for families. With over a decade of experience, we’ve thought through all of the details and taken care of them, so you don’t have to. So can we include siblings in newborn pictures? Absolutely! And I’m happy to walk you through how we can best do this for your family.

Follow along on Instagram for behind the scenes and more.
Take me to more details about a Louisville KY maternity, newborn, or family portrait session.