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table of contents
The Maternity Guide
Welcome
I’m so excited for your maternity session! I’m so honored to help you capture some fresh, timeless, classic images of your new baby as you welcome him or her home and into your family. I’ve created this guide to help you get the most out of your photos, and by the time you’ve read through this, you should have most of your questions answered and feel prepared for your session. So grab a warm cup of coffee and get cozy. In the pages ahead, I will help you prepare for your own baby’s newborn session, then I’ll take care of the rest! Your only job is to be yourself, smile and let me create photos you’ll love. I can’t wait to get you and your growing family in front of the camera!
Scheduling Your Session
I recommend booking your maternity session 28-32 weeks of pregnancy so that we can capture beautiful images before any swelling sets in in the later part of the third trimester (if you're anything like I was!). I begin all sessions within 2 hours of sunrise or sunset so that we can ensure there is beautiful natural light. This time of day is when the light is best to have creamy skin tones and avoid harsh shadows that you will get when the sun is high in the sky. If you have other children joining in on the session and the days are longer in the summer, I suggest securing a morning slot since children tend to wake up earlier and do better in thee morning. Some locations have more open shade options as well that could be a better fit to meet slightly earlier in the evening. Often times parents will do a later nap time to accomodate for a slightly later bedtime too! Just a few things to consider! As always, if you have concerns, let's chat!
MEET AT: 6363 Spring Mill Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46260
laurel hall
holliday park
newfields
CoxhAll Gardens
fort harrison state park
center for performing arts
holcomb gardens
canal riverwalk
lockerbie square
Flowing well park
war memorial
MEET AT: 11677 Towne Rd
Carmel, IN 46032
MEET AT: 4000 N Michigan Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46208
MEET AT: 5395 Emerson Way
Indianapolis, IN 46226
MEET AT: 6000 N Post R, Indianapolis, IN 46216
MEET AT: 1 Carter Green
Carmel, IN 46032
MEET AT: Garden Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46208
MEET AT: 528 Lockerbie St
Indianapolis, IN 46202
MEET AT: We'll chat!
MEET AT: 5100 E 116th St Carmel, IN 46033
MEET AT: 55 E Michigan St Indianapolis, IN 46204
VIBE: Green and lush gardens that provides backdrops of green and lush gardens and architecture, weeping willows and a cool rustic brick building. Note: no entrance fees!
VIBE: Historic brick ruins, prairie habitat, green trails with wildflowers. I have a secret nature spot I love here as well.
VIBE: Romantic gardens, gorgeous european style mansion, iron gate. Note: $50 photography pass required, only available certain days and seasons, but it is very worth it.
VIBE: Green woods and trails, wooden bridges with creek views, laid back vibe. Note: there is a $7 entrance fee per person
VIBE: Classic mansion with green and lush gardens surrounding it. Inside floor to ceiling windows with classic black and white floor tiles. Note: $75/hour rental fee, but oh so worth it!
VIBE: Classic buildings with beautiful limestone pillars for a neutral backdrop. Close to Cake Bake Shop as well.
VIBE: Limestone pillars situated in the middle of green gardens, a small lake surrounded my weeping willows, bridges.
Note: no entrance fee
VIBE: Cobblestone streets with quaint homes along, especially beautiful with the fall leaves
VIBE: views along the canal, skyline views of downtown Indy, beautiful limestone archways, close to White River State Park
VIBE: This is a beautiful creek location in Carmel! This is especially fun if you have older siblings joining in, but even if you don't it's a beautiful location! This is a location we can do earlier in the evening as well.
VIBE: beautiful limestone buildings and downtown Indianapolis skyline. Also close to Indianapolis Public library steps.
founders park
VIBE: Nature vibe with endless tree lined gravel trails and beautiful tall grasses. This is a wonderful location Spring-late Fall!
MEET AT:11675 Hazel Dell Pkwy Carmel, IN 46033
VIBE: Endless gravel trails and a gorgeous field of tall grass (in the fall) and beautiful green pasture (in the Spring) There's also a small path that leads to a little beach near the small lake. One of my favorite spots!
100 ACRE WOODS
MEET AT: Entrance to the park
Location Suggestions
west park
VIBE: Tall grasses, a pond with a beautiful boardwalk trail, and open grassy areas!
MEET AT: 2700 W 116th St, Carmel, IN 46032
Overwhelmed and don't have the time for Option 1 & 2? Simply give me everyone's sizes, and I'll create a custom mood board for you! I do this day in and day out, and sometimes it's helpful to have a professional just do the work for you. You may want to switch out a few things which is fine, but having a color palette and seeing how patterns and clothing textures work together can give you lots of ideas you may not have thought of.
let me do it for you!
Click here to see the dress options that I currently have in my client closet! Most of these are maternity, postpartum AND non-pregnancy friendly! You can choose up to three dresses for me to bring to your session, and I will bring them steamed and ready for you to try on before we begin. (I have a pop up "changing room" that I bring to sessions for outdoor sessions) You can then utilize Style & Select (see Option 2) to help you build your outfits for your family around that to successfully coordinate without being too 90's "matchy matchy"
utilize the client closet for mom's dress & build around that
need help choosing outfits?
What is Style and Select? It is a online software I've subscribed to specifically for my clients. If you wish to use this option, use the code KMPSTYLED to create your own family outfit mood board. You will select the color palette you're most interested in, input everyone's sizes and it will give you several outfit options to choose from to build each family members outfits. At the end it with provide links for each product so you can easily order it to your doorstep. Easy peezy!
utilize style & Select to coordinate outfits + links
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Check out the KMP Client Closet
Click here to start the process using code KMPSTYLED
Email me to let me know you'd like me to do this for you!
CHOOSING COLORs
When choosing colors for your outfits, I recommend selecting softer, lighter tones and more muted shades. Avoiding ultra bright, bold colors will help bring all the attention to your faces and let the eye focus on the way you feel about your new baby. The camera loves shades of soft pink, muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white. That softer color palette fits beautifully into most locations or the studio.
style tips for Mom
Keep your outfits simple and comfortable! In my experience, I find that soft neutrals photograph beautifully. I recommend basing your wardrobe around soft whites, creams, grays, or colors that are on the pale side of the spectrum. Avoid bright colors and black. Although everyone says that black is the most slimming colors to wear, it’s really the least flattering option when doing portraits. The only exception I've found to this is when doing a contemporary studio session with a fitted black dress. (ask me for an example!) But typically, stick to light colors that bounce lots of light back. Also skip the busy patterns; you want the viewers eye to be drawn to the two of you and your cute bump. Classic styles will allow your photos to feel soft and fresh.
Long dresses are very flattering on pregnant moms. They elongate your body and are very elegant and classic in portraits. Choose a maternal, classic dress with a beautiful flow to help give your images movement. This is why I began my client closet, to take the guess work out of it for you with beautiful options! Skinny straps or strapless dresses have the opposite effect on arms on camera, so I recommend avoiding those whenever possible.
Consider having your nails manicured or painted for your session. I will photograph close ups of your hands on your bump, so this can help you be prepared for those close shots.
As for footwear, if we're in a grassy area, I will recommend going barefoot for a more natural look. But bring shoes that are simple and stylish. Typically this can be simple leather crossed sandles, or a low heel. Please avoid tennis shoes! As comfortable as they are in pregnancy, they do not give the timeless elegant look!
Worth Collective
Baltic Born
PinkBlush
Nothing Fits But
Morning Lavender
Hill House
outfits for mom
where to shop
style tips for DAD
Long fitted pants and a button-up shirt or sweater is the most sophisticated and masculine look for men. Roll the cuffs on his sleeves to be a little more casual. If he wants something even more laid back, a solid gray t-shirt looks really nice in photos too. Solid tops and light colors pants work best. Stay away from dark clothing, patterns and prominent logos or writing on clothing. And go barefoot! We want to keep this session cozy and comfortable. Keeping his clothes simple and neutral helps draw the attention to his face.
Follow the same color guidelines. Select soft, light tones and more muted shades. Muted blues and light neutrals like heather gray, creams, and white all look amazing on camera.
PReparing your family
When I arrive for your session, I will talk to your little ones to help them warm up to me. We will often begin with prompts that don't ask much of them so they can get comfortable in front of the camera.
I love helping with outfits for big brothers and sisters! I always recommend sticking with the soft neutrals we’ve mentioned. Clothing can have soft patterns to it, but avoid anything too loud or anything with words or characters/cartoons. The most classic pictures are the ones where outfits don’t compete for your attention, but they are subtle enough that you can focus on the sweet moments between the new sibling. And again, I recommend barefoot for kids if we're in a soft grassy area!
We will make this fun for them and give them breaks from being in photos as well.
IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS!
DOGS
Yes, we can absolutely include your dog (or other pet) in your newborn photo session! Dogs are just as much a part of your family and I am always willing to incorporate a few family pictures with your sweet pup. I love dogs and enjoy having them join in the fun. Just make sure to have some treats on hand so we can get him into the perfect position for your family photo, and I’ll handle the rest! Maternity pictures are even sweeter when the whole family, including your furry friend is involved.
The beauty of being in your own home is you have the chance to incorporate some accessories. Whether it is a blanket, your ultrasound or a special gift you received at your baby shower, you have control over what is captured. Feel free to incorporate any special family quilts, heirlooms, or baby blankets that you would like to use in your pictures.
PHOTO DELIVERY TIMELINE
2-3 Days: sneak peek with a few of my favorite photos
2-3 Weeks: Online gallery with all of your final, retouched, high-resolution images.
DOWNLOADING YOUR PHOTOS
When downloading your photos, we recommend downloading the ENTIRE gallery all at once, so you immediately have a copy of all your images! After downloading your gallery, be sure to save it to multiple places. You can also download individual images as you want them!
ACCESSING YOUR PHOTOS ON YOUR PHONE
The online gallery system that we use is extremely mobile friendly! To access, just go to your phone’s web browser and navigate to your gallery’s webpage link. It works seamlessly just like it would on a computer! You can download individual photos onto your phone for crisp and clear Instagrams and having access to your memories at all times.
ORDERING PRINTS
You can actually order professional and affordable prints from within your online gallery and have them shipped directly to your house! Prints are printed in a professional lab to ensure color and contrast accuracy. You are more than welcome to print images on your own. However, we would warn you to avoid Walmart, Target and Costco. We cannot promise that the colors will print true-to-life if you choose to print at those stores!
GALLERY EXPIRATION
Your gallery is guaranteed to remain open for one year after your session. Therefore, we highly recommend backing up your images in more than one place, on multiple devices, flash drives, hard drives, and even in online cloud storage systems like Dropbox or iCloud. You can't have enough copies!
SHARING YOUR IMAGES
You are completely free to share your images wherever you would like! Whether it's on social media, printing them for your home, or sending to your friends, share away! We want you to treat your images like they're yours. Just keep in mind not to add filters or re-edit them in any way. Watermarking is not necessary, but we just ask that you credit us in the caption! Feel free to share your gallery link with your friends and family!
Online Gallery
HEIRLOOM Albums
Heirloom albums are the perfect way to put your newborn and family photos to use. These make perfect Mother's Day, Birthday or Christmas gifts!**
We will email you after your full gallery is delivered with more information on how to begin the design process.
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Chiropractic care (mom + baby)
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Lactation consultants
Postpartum Recommendations
Postpartum Care USA
optimizing postpartum health
hair
Drybar Keystone (hair only)
Black Swan Beauty (makeup also)
Something Blue Stylists (makeup also)
cleaning services
Glorious Cleaning
The Cleaning Authority
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Thank you for allowing us to photograph your sweet family in the maternity stage!
I know I just gave you a lot to think about. I created this guide to help you make your maternity session experience something you’ll look back fondly on for years and years to come. At the end of the day, though, the outfits you select or the location won’t matter nearly as much as the memories you make together as you celebrate the joy of expecting this new baby. Your future memories are the most important thing to me, and I want your session to be a time for you to just soak it all in and enjoy. Have fun together. Smile a lot. And I’ll take care of the rest!
With love, Kaitlin
One Final Note!
