Celebrate your Belly

BY AMY E. LEMEN
ePregnancy (November/December 2003 issue)

Nude photos can be a unique way to celebrate (and remember) your pregnant body. But do you have the courage to shed your clothes? Here's all you need to know about posing nude — or nearly nude — and enjoying the experience.

When I was pregnant with our first child, all I wanted was to splurge on nude photos. Yes, nudes. And I made this decision while my belly was still relatively flat. I remember Demi Moore's gorgeous pregnant body on the cover of Vanity Fair, and I wanted that to be me. I thought it would be a great gift to myself when I became pregnant, and a wonderful way to celebrate a baby and my changing body.

When I proudly made my announcement, my husband looked at me like I was nuts, then - remembering that he was dealing with a hormonal wife - wisely said, "whatever you want, honey." All my friends just wanted to see the photos. And my mother? Well… let's just say she was more open to the idea once she saw the finished product.

It was an experience I'd recommend to anyone, but make sure you're comfortable with the idea before you start shedding your clothing.

Professional pregnancy photographers and fellow moms have plenty of tips on what to do — should you choose to bare it all during this special time.

Beautiful Bellies

Flip through any magazine and you'll see pregnant celebrities flaunting their bellies for the camera. Photographer Jennifer Loomis of Jennifer Loomis Photography in Seattle and San Francisco has been specializing in pregnancy photography for a decade and she says the trend has snowballed in the last few years. "Society has really started to open up to this," she says.

"Pregnancy isn't taboo anymore; rather, it's something to be celebrated and cherished. I believe this will be just as common as wedding photography someday."

Loomis says the image of a pregnant woman really challenges our idea of beauty, and she loves when a man sees a photo of a pregnant woman and thinks she's gorgeous. "Their first response is, 'Wow, she's sexy.' Then it's 'Omigosh, she's pregnant!" she laughs. "I love that. I'm redefining beauty. The whole concept of pregnancy is going way beyond doctor's offices and into living rooms."

Indeed, a Loomis photograph isn't meant to be tucked away in a drawer somewhere. "I don't do baby book photos," she says. "My clients are embracing their bodies, and they want art to hang on their walls."

Feel Stunning

Photographer Kristina Minor of Classic Black & White Photography in Austin, TX, says everyone she's photographed has a beautiful body, and pregnancy photos are a way to show that. "I want them to feel good," she says. "For me, the shoots are my gift — to make these women feel beautiful."

My decision to have my photos taken was inspired by Demi Moore. But Aurora Henson of Mabank, TX, was inspired by her own belief that she was beautiful. "My ex-husband told me I was fat and unattractive while I was pregnant," she says. "I guess I wanted proof, if only for myself and our child, that I wasn't hideous." Though she had a difficult pregnancy, Henson enjoyed being pregnant and wanted to remember everything about it. She took her own photos, and says, "I was certain even then that I wouldn't be able to become pregnant again. I wanted my child to know I loved him and was proud of every moment. The photos made me feel beautiful, validated. They were amateurish and simple, but they reminded me of how I felt that very moment."

Heather Winne of Indiana didn't think about having photos taken during her first pregnancy, when she was expecting twins, but she didn't think twice about it with her second. "My second pregnancy was sort of a rebellion in a way," she says. "I felt sexy and powerful, but also wanted to really capture the pregnancy, and in the buff seemed the best way to say, 'Look how wonderfully beautiful it is to be a woman!"

A Cherished Gift

Many people give pregnancy photo sessions as gifts to expectant moms. Most photographers offer gift certificates or session packages that are ideal for shower gifts or as a lovely surprise from partners.

Heather Hart is a photographer and principal of A La Mode Photo in Santa Monica, CA, who specializes in pregnancy photos at sunset. She shoots just one client a day, and her goal is to give women "their time." She says, "Pregnant women spend so much time on everything but themselves, so this is time just for them. And a lot of people want to give that as a gift."

Loomis says she's had moms buy for their daughters, and even a woman whose father and two brothers bought her a session. She also gets lots of husbands buying sessions for their wives. "Definitely tell her before the shoot — not the day I show up," she says. "Take her out for a nice dinner a few weeks before and surprise her then."

Getting Comfortable

Whether you choose to be photographed au natural, draped in flowing fabric, or in a fabulous evening dress, the experts say it's crucial to feel comfortable — and that begins before the first click of the camera. "Pregnant women are emotionally raw," says Loomis. "I spend at least a half-hour talking to my moms about how they feel before I start shooting."

Loomis, Minor and Hart all meet with clients first so they can see portfolios and get ideas for the shoot. And they all echo the need to find an experienced photographer. "That's key," says Loomis. "There are a lot of people out of photo school doing this and a lot who don't know what they're doing. You don't want someone who shoots weddings doing this."

Winne from Indiana is thrilled she had her pictures done, but offers some advice to other moms. "If I were to do it again, I would go to a real photographer who was experienced in this type of work," she says. "My mom isn't the world's finest photographer, and it was a little awkward having her do them. I'm still glad they were done, though, because I was celebrating my womanhood in its most natural, potent stages through pictures."

When to Do It and What to Bring

Hart, who prefers to photograph clients draped in fabric to "preserve the mystique," says she had one client who'd been told by another photographer that her belly wasn't big enough. "Every woman is different," says Hart. "If you like your belly, do it!"

Loomis suggests that moms come in six to eight weeks before their due date to avoid pre-term swelling. Minor says she likes doing the photo shoot when moms are as big as possible," but before they gain those last seven or eight pounds. "It's good to come in toward the end of the pregnancy," she says. "The main thing is to feel beautiful."

Minor asks moms to bring something that's meaningful to them, or just something they think is fun. For example, a gardener ringed her belly in roses and a mom from Chicago brought a stuffed bull. One woman's husband had had a vasectomy… then they found out they were pregnant. Her accessory was a pair of dice.

Minor also asks women to bring a man's button-down shirt and a pair of jeans. "I love jeans — they give definition to the butt and thighs and show that the body is still intact with this big belly," says Minor. I do lots of profiles, silhouettes and just bellies. I prefer hints of curves or [hints of] a nipple; not full-on shots, but something artistic you'd hang on a wall."

Loomis asks clients not to wear a lot of makeup or jewelry, and warns against wearing anything elastic at least two hours before the shoot. "I want them to come in feeling relaxed and beautiful," she says. "I provide drapery and kimonos, but I'll always ask moms to bring something from home that they love."

Tips for Going It Alone

Though it's nice to hire a professional to shoot pregnancy photos, it can get a little pricey. Shoots usually involve a sitting fee that starts around $200; prints are separate and start around $50 to $75 for a 5x7 photo on archival paper. If you decide to do your own photo shoot — and many women and their partners do — our photographers have advice for that too.

"Get about five or six yards of sheer fabric, wrap it around you, and get a friend to pin it," says Hart. "It looks just beautiful and the pictures look great."

One of Minor's fondest memories didn't happen within her studio, but when she was standing in line at a photo shop behind a pregnant woman who was picking up photos, Minor recalls. "I couldn't resist and gave her all kinds of advice — my favorite poses, tips. She was so excited. This wasn't about sharing secrets or me getting a client."

My advice to an expectant mother is to do whatever you can to preserve this time," says Henson. "Life holds no certainties and having something tangible to remind you of those feelings is important when your teenager is making you crazy! Seriously, I don't regret those photos for a moment."

About the author: Amy E. Lemen is a freelance writer in Austin, TX, and mom to Audrey, who is almost 2. She loves her pregnancy photos and refused to take them down from the nursery when she and her husband were showing their house to sell. No word on whether or not the photos helped the sale.