A few months ago, Los Angeles-based celebrity photographer, director, producer Lee Cherry and his artist friends produced Labor of Love, a CD featuring the vocals of Lee’s wife, Scarlett. Labor of Love was written, recorded and produced during Scarlett’s pregnancy with son Riff, who arrived in January. Lee’s photos of Scarlett and Riff are featured on the CD jacket and the Labor of Love website. Here, he shares tips for a successful maternity shoot. 

1. Relax your subject  

When photographers shoot professional models and celebrities, they share in the responsibility of the photos being awesome. When our subjects are not professionals, I feel we’re 100 percent responsible for making them look awesome. To help portrait subjects relax, especially maternity subjects, discover their comfort zone by asking their photo session goals, what they want, don’t want, and what they’re comfortable with. 

2. Be extra sensitive

With a pregnant client, support 100 percent whatever she feels, thinks, says and wants. The photo shoot is about her beauty and how she feels. Because she’s going through phases where her body is changing and expanding, be extra, extra sensitive.  

3. Maintain Pro Mode

To get the best results when shooting family and friends, I find if I remove myself from the situation and just photograph my wife, my son, or my best friend like they were someone I didn’t know, I get better results. Staying in pro mode, I avoid putting too much importance on the shoot and potentially getting in my head about it.  

4. Embrace serendipity

Sometimes during a shoot, fortuitous things happen, things that aren’t planned, but add something special to the images. Scarlett and I welcome serendipity in our lives, staying in the moment as much as possible. Before the CD shoot, for example, we envisioned only the cover photo; everything else was spontaneous. Embrace serendipity. Don’t overplan.

For more on Labor of Love, including a stop-action video, visit laborofloveproject.com.  

Alice B. Miller is the owner of Plum Communications Inc., a Long Island, NY, editorial services and marketing-communications company that supports the photo industry. Previously the editor of studio Photography magazine, Alice has a growing clientele that includes photographers, manufacturers, publications and associations. She is the director of public relations for the International Photographic Council.