Whether it’s your first child or your fourth, maternity photos are a stunning way to capture an incredibly fleeting moment of motherhood and life as a whole.
Pregnancy is an extraordinarily unique and remarkable period, full of wonder, anticipation, and change. It’s only nine months of a decades-long life, so many mamas choose to document the ephemeral time by posing with their bumps bared for a maternity photoshoot. The result is usually a breathtaking collection of moments in time that families cherish for the rest of their lives.
Kahla Wickham, Melbourne-based maternity, newborn, and family photographer of KW Image, shares, “With a growing family of my own, I have always enjoyed capturing the pure love and happiness that is felt at any given moment. Photographs are the universal language of any era, speaking to the heart and drawing our attention to the fleeting nostalgic moments of the past and present.”
Newcastle-based maternity, newborn, and family photographer Jess Newell of Jess Newell Photography explained where her passion for capturing expecting mamas stems from, sharing, “No matter what season you are in, my desire is to document your story. To show you your life, your legacy, by someone who really sees you and wants to capture the true connection and emotion of the love you feel.”
Scroll on for a selection of stunning maternity photos shot by photographers around the world.
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A Family Affair
Image Credit: McKenna Ah Quin Photo / @mckennaahquinphoto. Standing on an idyllic beach in Hawaii, McKenna Ah Quin Photo captured a beautiful family of three — soon to be four — standing together looking happy, at peace, and a little mischievous in the most adorable way possible.
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Into the Next Chapter
Image Credit: McKenna Ah Quin Photo / @mckennaahquinphoto. In another wistful photo by McKenna Ah Quin, the expanding family of three holds hands and leads one another — a visual metaphor for their journey into the next chapter as a foursome.
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Pure Radiance
Image Credit: Cailend Riley Robbins / Wyld Honey Photography / @wyldhoneyphotography. Captured by Cailend Riley Robbins of Wyld Honey Photography, a pregnant woman looks effortlessly undone as she stands in a field lit by a golden sunset wearing unbuttoned and unzipped jeans and a white button-up blouse tied where her bust and bump meet. Running her hands through her cascading blonde tresses, she’s the picture of pure radiance.
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That Fairytale Feeling
Image Credit: Jess Newell Photography / @jess_newell_photography. Captured by Jess Newell Photography, an expecting mother sits in a field of tall grass wearing a romantic, billowing gown with her baby bump exposed. She’s lovingly smiling at her toddler standing in front of her, and she looks like an absolute vision straight out of a fairytale.
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Pure Joy & Wonder
Image Credit: Dylaina Gollub Photography / @dylainagollubphotography. Shot by Dylaina Gollub Photography, an expecting couple is the focal point of this jaw-droppingly gorgeous cliffside photo. Although it’s taken from afar, the beaming smile on the pregnant woman’s face immediately captures the eye. Between her expression and the captivating scenery, the overall mood is that of awe-inspiring wonder.
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I Am Woman
Image Credit: Cailend Riley Robbins / Wyld Honey Photography / @wyldhoneyphotography. Robbins (of Wyld Honey Photography) tells SheKnows that each year for Mother’s Day, she gets a group of expecting mamas together for a group maternity shoot in celebration of motherhood and the incredible feat women’s bodies perform to bring life into the world.
In 2022, she captured these five dazzling women in a whimsical shoot that involved a lot of hand-glued daisies and laughter, conveying a sense of feminine power and community through a series of breathtaking photos.
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Flowers & Femininity
Image Credit: Cailend Riley Robbins / Wyld Honey Photography / @wyldhoneyphotography. An ethereal close-up shot from the same shoot by Wyld Honey Photography shows a pregnant woman’s side profile backlit by the golden glow of sunlight. Hand-glued daisies are smattered across her softly curving figure, and her long blonde hair flows down her back to her behind — she is the picture of the divine feminine.
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Timeless & Classic
Image Credit: Yazmin Garcia / Photography by Yaz / @photography_by_yaz. In a beautifully timeless, classic black and white photo shot by Yazmin Garcia of Photography by Yaz, a pregnant woman sits perched on a stool, cradling her baby bump. She leans back to rest against her partner standing behind her as he plants a gentle kiss atop her head with his hands on her waist. There’s a sense of peace, love, and dedication that radiates from the simple yet stunning photo.
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Dreaming of You
Image Credit: McKenna Ah Quin Photo / @mckennaahquinphoto. In another session shot by McKenna Ah Quin Photo, a mom-to-be looks like a bohemian dream as she lovingly gazes at her baby bump while cradling it as she stands on the shore of a breathtaking Hawaiian beach.
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Capturing Magic
Image Credit: McKenna Ah Quin Photo / @mckennaahquinphoto. Another photo from the same shoot shows the expecting mother holding hands with her partner as they frolic on the beach. The playful, ebullient, and youthful mood captured by McKenna Ah Quin Photo is sheer magic.
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Gossamer Glamour
Image Credit: Tatiana Bogdan / Imagine That Photography / @imaginethatpic. Captured by Tatiana Bogdan of Imagine That Photography, this maternity shot oozes divine feminine energy. Laying on her side in a heap of mauve-colored gossamer fabric — the same as the romantic dress she wears — the mama-to-be gently rests a hand on her baby bump as she peacefully closes her eyes. Her lush hair is glamorously fanned out around her, creating a beautiful flowing shape from the ends of her tresses to the bend of her legs.
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Breezy Bohemian Beauty
Image Credit: Kahla Wickham / @kw.image. In a golden sunlit photo shot by Kahla Wickham of KW Image, a pregnant woman stands amid sand dunes in Melbourne wearing a bohemian bra, underwear, and robe set and a wide-brim fedora. With her eyes closed and her hair blown back by a gentle breeze, the mama-to-be looks completely at peace as she surrenders to the journey she’s on.
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Golden Hour Magic
Image Credit: Jess Newell Photography / @jess_newell_photography. Also shot by Jess Newell Photography, a pregnant mama stands on a Newcastle beach in an ethereal, billowing robe. She cradles her baby bump and smiles at the place her child grows as the sun sets over the ocean behind her, creating an undeniably magical scene.
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Casually Chic
Image Credit: Daisy Rey Photography Intimate / @intimate_by_daisyrey. There’s something absolutely enchanting about a pregnant woman in a simple outift of denim and a soft bralette when it comes to maternity photoshoots, and this photo by Daisy Rey of Daisy Rey Photography Intimate is a mesmerizing example of the phenomenon. The raven-haired mama-to-be is casually chic and effortlessly undone in this gorgeous studio shot.
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You’re So Golden
Image Credit: Rhianon Backman Photography / @photos_byrhi. Capturing a pregnant woman in denim and her Calvins, Rhianon Backman of Rhianon Backman Photography reinforces the idea that there’s an indisputable charm to an expecting mother in the simple yet iconic outfit. In this captivating shot, the mama-to-be kneels in a grassy clearing as she tucks her hair behind her ears and gazes into the distance with the softest smile on her face.
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Hand in Hand With You
Image Credit: Rhianon Backman Photography / @photos_byrhi. In another photo from the same shoot captured by Rhianon Backman Photography, the expecting woman holds hands with her partner as they walk through the grassy clearing wearing joyful smiles. They’re both, notably, dressed in jeans and white Calvin Klein underwear — a classic look for dads-to-be as well!
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Goddess Energy
Image Credit: Jess Newell Photography / @jess_newell_photography. Delicately draped in a billowing sheet, a glowing mother-to-be stands on a rocky Newcastle beach with a hand around her baby bump as she looks off into the distance with a stoic expression on her face. Shot again by Jess Newell Photography, the goddess energy is palpable.
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Enduring Elegance
Image Credit: Tatiana Bogdan / Imagine That Photography / @imaginethatpic. This timelessly elegant photo, shot by Tatiana Bogdan of Imagine That Photography, is nothing short of striking. Capturing a pregnant woman’s side profile in black and white, the sloping curves of her body are brought to the forefront by the contrast of her black turtleneck dress against the gray background for breathtaking emphasis.
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A New Adventure
With the sun setting behind an expanse of mountains, casting the perfect golden glow over the grassy valley, Sarah Henson of Blessings Photography captured an ethereal shot of a pregnant woman cradling her baby bump and looking out into the distance — you get the feeling that she’s looking out into the new possibilities awaiting her in motherhood.
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