Michael Zelbel returns with his new book, The Art of Baby Belly Photography, in which he covers the popular topic of maternity portraiture.  If you’ve been doing family portraiture and/or weddings for awhile, you’ve probably been asked about this.  In fact, my boudoir photography clients often returned for maternity portraits, then newborn, then baby and family photos.  You can start exploring the maternity market, or learn more about it with Zelbel’s new book.  Why would you need a reference for this type of portraiture?  Zelbel makes a very good case for it:

A photo shoot with a pregnant model is not something you can wing and conduct by trial and error. There are a lot of things to keep in mind: the comfortable and uncomfortable poses, ideal lighting setups, the model’s limited endurance (ever tried to carry a baby in your belly?), flattering and unflattering clothes and so on. You need to know what to do about all of the elements described above before you can breeze through a shoot with confidence.

If you try to make it up as you go along and approach the creative process like you would any other photo shoot, you will most likely do a poor job and endanger the model’s health. She can’t afford to stand or move about while you figure out the latest posing or lighting trick you want to try; she’s pregnant, remember?

The Art of Baby Belly Photography doesn’t just offer solid lighting tips, but also provides some insight into preparation, the pregnant client’s concerns, the choices  you’ll make in your approach, posing, clothing, and cliché vs. creative shots.  If you’re a fan of Michael Zelbel’s teaching style, you’ll really appreciate this one.  I should mention, just as he does on the info/ordering page for The Art of Baby Belly Photography, this book does contain some nudity, and isn’t for everyone.  You can find out more here >>

(This is a promotional blog entry.  Ed Verosky receives a portion of the sales for this product.)