Emma Godfrey

Family maternity photos | Story of the Photo | Cully

Maternity photos with the whole family

Having a new baby effects everyone in the family, from siblings to pets. A great way to involved the whole family in the process is to ask them to take part in your maternity photos. I love being able to include everyone in pregnancy photos – even the dog! This image from Usha’s shoot shows how terrific whole family maternity photos can be. It shows mum, dad, son and Pepet sharing a moment on the steps of the church in Cully. The colours and textures are just perfect for a lazy summer’s day. And for one moment everyone managed to look in my direction. 

The Story 

We had started the shoot with some indoor portraits of Usha alone and the plan was to head out to the lake for some water images. Walking through the village I had notice the church steps and was really taken with the ivy winding its way down and in between the stone. I suggested we take a quick walk around the village before strolling down to the lake. When dealing with unpredictable models I always try to get the parents in the right place first, then children and take a few images before asking the family to call over their dog. Pepet was such a lovely curious dog, sniffing around everywhere. As I was chatting to the family, he came to stand at the top of the steps and surveyed the scene. It was the ideal moment to capture all the family together with natural smiles. 

The best ways to involve family in maternity pictures 

Maternity photos do tend to be all about mum, but there are some easy ways to include all the family. I usually advise mum’s to plan something fun for other siblings, in this case a swim together in the lake, and there were some running races too! Plan time for portraits alone, either before or after family pictures. This avoids your other family members getting bored. We were really lucky because both Rémy and Pepet were happy to be around me and not in the pictures. So I managed to get a few couple photos too. I also try to get kids involved in the images, directing their parents or helping me shoot. This holds their attention just long enough to get the shots and then move onto something different.  See more from Usha’s family maternity photos here. Or discover the story behind some of my favourite maternity and newborn photos, by checking out the links below or visit the Story of the Photo page. If you would like to book a maternity photo shoot with the family, get in touch to chat about making it happen. 

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