The miracle of pregnancy never ceases to amaze me…  I meet with pregnant women all the time to photograph their evergrowing tummies and everyone is beautiful in their own way There is just something about them which I can’t put into words.  I don’t really think guys neccesarily feel the same about it but then they are men and we appreciate them for all the other things they are.  My mother once told me that when she was pregnant with one of the four of her children, she used to climb into the bath and put some water in her belly button,  then she talked to the unborn baby who would start kicking and splash the water out of her belly button.I mean how amazing is that?!  I remember when my sister in law was pregnant with the twins they used to kick her “under the ribs” and then she would come to my room where I was fiddling with the guitar and they would just relax, probably listening to the music.  I like to believe that the swell of your tummy is the promise of a new life and tons of potential   I once read :”The decision to have a child is enormous, it is to decide to have your heart walk outside of your body for the rest of your life” 

Riani

There is just something spectacular about pregnant women, they are truly beautiful.  From the inside and from the outside, maybe it’s because God has chosen them to be the bearer of new life.  Because they’re actually facilitating a miracle. Have you ever taken the time to think about being a sacred vessel for 9months (that’s almost an entire year…)  of eating extremely healthy ( cos everything you eat and drink, or don’t eat and drink, for that matter will influence the little human growing inside of you.  No drinking, not even a sip of wine as always when you get home from work. having to buy new clothes cos eventually your tummy just gets bigger and bigger (ok, not that shopping has ever been a problem for any woman   )  The feeling of seeing that baby’s face on the monitor at the gynaecologist’s office and hearing the little heartbeat as fast as a steamtrain is just one helluva indescribable feeling (and I wasn’t even the pregnant one, my sister in law was expecting a little boy)  All of a sudden this tiny little baby who is to become part of your family becomes a real person…Being pregnant is a big part of your life and is in actual fact the first steps to bonding with your little one growing inside of your tummy.  The baby actually gets used to your voice, so it will instantly recognise you as it’s mother.  Unborn babies are extremely sensitive to ‘outside’ stimuli.  For instance it has been proven that if you play sports while being pregnant, there is a bigger chance of your child being very active because of the adrenalin rush.  Even simple things like music can stimulate the brain activity.If you have the privilege of sharing a special bond with someone who is pregnant ask them if they mind when you put your hand on their tummy and feel what it feels like when that little baby inside her swollen tummy kicks in response to hearing their father’s voice or soothing music.Even though being pregnant and becoming a new mother carries huge responsibility that might sometimes feel overwhelming, remember that God knows how strong you are and will never give you something that is too big to handle.  Being a mother is a full-time 24/7 job which includes hard work and perseverance but it is also the highest paying job in the universe…And if you find yourself with an inquisitive little toddler, use this special time of being pregnant to make your bond even stronger.  Include them in activities like choosing new clothes or toys for their new brother or sister, preparing baby’s room and so forth.  If they bath with you at night ask them to help you wash the your tummy and get them used to the idea of sharing things.  Little children often find it hard to associate with the concept of pregnancy, but how can we expect of them to understand it when we don’t even fully understand it ourselves…?Talk to your toddler and explain it again and again, and you’ll soon come to the realization that small kids think little brothers or sisters can be ordered and they expect their new sibling to be able to walk and talk the instant they enter this new unknown world.. As women photographers we are confident that we are able to capture the emotion you feel for this little baby growing inside of you.  I never knew you could love someone you have never met, so much.  We offer private Maternity Photoshoot for you and your partner (and precious little ones) in a comfortably warmed studio environment.  The perfect time to have your maternity photographs taken is between 34-37 weeks.  It’s all about the tummy I always say.  And remember even though you might feel a little big, every single pregnant woman is beautiful as they are truly facilitating a miracle…!

Riani

I just love maternity photography!!! It doesn’t matter how many times I photograph a pregnant woman, I get all sentimental and feel a connection to the unborn baby!! Maybe it’s because I love babies so much because I thought I would never have any of my own – who knows?? But I feel honoured every time I get to do a pregnancy photoshoot…..

I was lucky enough to do a maternity photoshoot for a lovely couple from Malawi the other day. They had come up to Johannesburg for a check-up and a major scan and their cousin organised for them to come for a maternity photoshoot while they were in town. As a result, Sonia was not as far as she would have liked to have been for the photos but her tummy was showing enough to capture the miracle of pregnancy (and the love between her and Miguel)

Hopefully, they will be back soon with their precious bundle so we can do a newborn photoshoot as well (and I can get to mmet another newborn baby in person….) 

Every now and then I feel so privileged to do what I do. Photographing Marisa and Jorge was one of those times… and the photos show it!

In fact, it wasn’t even Marisa’s idea to do a maternity photo shoot – it was Jorge’s idea. He convinced her to come for the preggie shoot and you could just see how proud he was of her and their baby-to-be…..

He made her feel so beautiful when I was photographing her and was completely at ease behind the camera himself.

You could see he was in love and loving this part of his life. You could feel the love between them and their unborn baby and it was an absolute pleasure to photograph!

That’s what I love about my job – I have always loved maternity photoshoots but to photograph a couple that is so in love is just a cherry on the top!

Every photoshoot is unique! That’s what I love about photography…. No matter how many maternity photoshoots I do, I find that each pregnant woman is beautiful in her own unique way and expresses herself differently too…

It’s such fun getting to meet new people and I love having the opportunity to find ways to express their personality in a photograph!

This is a photograph of an incredibly beautiful woman – 36 weeks pregnant – who is keeping the sex of her unborn baby a surprise…

Is it a boy or is it a girl? What will they name their beautiful baby? Will the baby come early? or go past it’s due date? All these exciting questions form part of the story…

And one day, when we look back at this photograph, all of these questions will have been answered.

But then there will be a whole new set of questions – what will this beautiful child grow up to be and do? Will they have children of their own? And will they have photographs as beautiful as these? Of course they will….