When you start planning a maternity session, it is easy to fall down the Pinterest rabbit hole.

You save a few beautiful images. Then a few more. Suddenly you have a board filled with flowing dresses, fields at golden hour, flower crowns, bare bellies, neutral tones, and the same handful of poses you’ve seen over and over again.

And while Pinterest can be a great place to gather ideas, I think the most meaningful maternity sessions often come from somewhere else entirely.

What if your maternity session was inspired by something that actually means something to you?

A song you love.
A favorite movie or TV show.
A place you’ve traveled.
A favorite era.
A childhood memory.
The way your grandparents dressed.
A hobby you can’t imagine your life without.
The feeling of your favorite season.

Your maternity photos don’t have to look like everyone else’s. In fact, I think they shouldn’t.

This maternity session is the perfect example.

A 70s Flower Child-Inspired Maternity Session

This session leaned into a little bit of that 1970s flower child feeling — warm, free-spirited, feminine, earthy, and a little bit nostalgic.

Instead of starting with, “What are maternity photos supposed to look like?” we started with a feeling.

And that changed everything.

The styling, textures, colors, movement, and overall mood of the session came together to create something that felt much more personal than simply choosing a pretty maternity dress and a pretty location.

There is something so beautiful about taking inspiration from a specific time period or aesthetic and then making it your own.

You don’t have to recreate the 1970s perfectly.

Maybe it’s the bell sleeves.
Maybe it’s the warm colors.
Maybe it’s wildflowers.
Maybe it’s vintage-inspired jewelry.
Maybe it’s the music playing in the background while you’re getting ready.

It can be as subtle or as bold as you want.

Look Beyond Pinterest for Maternity Session Inspiration

Pinterest is wonderful for finding inspiration, but don’t stop there.

Some of my favorite ideas for personalized maternity sessions come from places that have nothing to do with photography.

Start With a Song

Is there a song that immediately takes you back to a specific time in your life?

Maybe it was the song you and your partner listened to when you first started dating. Maybe it reminds you of summer nights, college, road trips, your wedding, or a favorite vacation.

What if your maternity session captured the feeling of that song?

For a 70s-inspired session, you might build the entire mood around a favorite vintage song or artist.

The goal isn’t necessarily to make the photos literally look like the song.

It’s to capture the feeling it gives you.

Think About a Favorite TV Show or Movie

Sometimes the best inspiration is hiding in something you already love watching.

Maybe you love the cozy interiors of a particular show. Maybe you love the fashion in an old movie. Maybe there’s a character whose style you’ve always admired.

You don’t have to recreate a scene.

Instead, ask yourself:

What do I love about it?

Is it the colors? The clothing? The setting? The nostalgia? The relaxed feeling?

Those little details can become the inspiration for your maternity photos.

Revisit a Favorite Memory

Some of the most meaningful inspiration can come from your own childhood.

Did you grow up spending summers at your grandparents’ house?

Did your family always take pictures at the beach?

Did your mom wear a particular style that you now find yourself drawn to?

Was there a garden, cabin, beach house, or neighborhood that was part of your childhood?

Your maternity session could incorporate little pieces of those memories.

Because someday, your child will look at these photographs and those details will become part of their family story, too.

Use a Location That Means Something to You

Your maternity session doesn’t have to take place at the most popular photography location.

Think about places that are meaningful to your family.

Maybe it’s:

• Your favorite beach
• The place you got engaged
• A family vacation spot
• Your backyard
• A favorite hiking trail
• A family farm
• Your grandparents’ property
• A neighborhood where you’ve lived for years
• A place you visit every summer

The location doesn’t have to be conventionally “pretty.”

It just needs to mean something to you.

That meaning will make the photographs more personal.

Your Maternity Photos Don’t Have to Follow a Formula

There is no rule that says every maternity session needs to include the same poses, the same dress, and the same location.

Maybe you want your session to feel romantic and elegant.

Maybe you want it to feel playful.

Maybe you want something editorial and fashion-forward.

Maybe you want barefoot, wildflower-filled, 70s flower child energy.

Maybe you want to document this season of your life exactly as it feels right now — messy, joyful, emotional, exciting, and full of anticipation.

Your session can be all of those things.

Think About Your Personality

If someone looked at your maternity gallery without knowing you, would they be able to tell that it was your session?

That’s something I love thinking about when planning a session.

Your clothes, location, styling, music, props, activities, and even the way you interact with your family can all help tell your story.

And personalization doesn’t have to mean bringing a giant collection of props.

Sometimes it is simply choosing the right details.

A favorite pair of earrings.

Your husband’s vintage jacket.

A bouquet of your favorite flowers.

A blanket from home.

A book you’ve loved for years.

Your old record player.

A picnic.

Bare feet in the grass.

The little things can make a session feel like you.

Don’t Forget About the Big Sibling

If you’re expecting your second baby, your maternity session isn’t just about documenting your pregnancy.

It’s also about documenting your first child becoming a big sibling.

And I love including them in the session.

This is such a huge transition for your family, and it deserves to be photographed.

But that doesn’t mean every photo needs to be your child standing beside your belly and smiling at the camera.

In fact, some of my favorite big sibling images happen when we let them simply be themselves.

Ways to Include Your Big Sibling in a Maternity Session

Let Them Interact With Your Belly

Depending on their age, they might want to kiss the baby, hug your belly, talk to the baby, or simply place their hand on your bump.

Don’t force it.

Sometimes the sweetest photographs happen when we give them a little space and let the interaction happen naturally.

Let Them Play

If your child loves to run, let them run.

If they love flowers, let them pick flowers.

If they are silly, let them be silly.

If they want to snuggle with Mom, make room for that.

The goal isn’t to make your child behave like a tiny professional model.

The goal is to capture who they are right now.

Because one day, you will look back at these photographs and realize how little they were.

Give Them a Job

Big siblings often love feeling included in the excitement of a new baby.

Maybe they can help carry something, hold flowers, choose where everyone should sit, or “check” on the baby.

Giving them a little role can help them feel like an important part of the experience rather than someone who has to stand still for photographs.

Make Time for Just the Two of You

This might be one of the most important parts of the session.

Before the baby arrives, your first child is still your baby.

Make space for photographs of just the two of you.

A hug.

A forehead kiss.

Walking hand in hand.

Reading together.

A quiet moment sitting beside each other.

Those photographs can become incredibly meaningful as your family grows.

 

Your Maternity Session Can Tell a Story

When I look at a maternity gallery, I don’t just want to see a beautiful pregnant woman.

I want to see a family on the edge of becoming something new.

I want to see the anticipation.

The connection.

The excitement.

The personality.

The tiny details that will someday make you say, “Remember when…”

That’s why I love creating maternity sessions that feel personal rather than following a formula.

Your session might be inspired by the 1970s.

Or your favorite beach vacation.

Or the movie you and your partner watched on your first date.

Or the garden where you spent your childhood.

Or the song you played on repeat during your pregnancy.

Or absolutely nothing other than the way this particular season of your life feels.

There is no right answer.

The best inspiration is the kind that already belongs to you.

Planning a Personalized Maternity Session in Raleigh, NC

If you’re looking for a Raleigh maternity photographer or Wake Forest maternity photographer, I want your session to feel like more than simply checking “maternity photos” o