Over the summer I did a photoshoot with my cousin and his cute wife, but there was one problem- she was pregnant! Ok, so that in and of itself wasn't the problem, they'd been married for a couple of years and there wasn't any drama about it. But what was a problem was the fact that they weren't announcing it yet and the shoot we were doing wasn't about the baby- they just hadn't taken any photos since their wedding and wanted an updated couples shot. So how was I going to shoot this couple while still being sensitive to the baby bump?
Hiding a baby bump can actually be a pretty common concern, not just in the photography world, but also in television as well, and there are a whole ton of tricks that Hollywood uses to distract and disguise baby bumps in film-some crazier than others! (How I Met Your Mother!)
Thankfully my cousin's wife wasn't too far along, which made my job easier, but as a photographer I thought I would share a few simple methods to help you hide that bump for yourself, if the need ever arises.
1- Loose Clothing
Clothing and outfit choice can play a huge roll in how we look in photos. When we wear tighter clothes it tends to attract attention to those areas, whereas looser clothing tends to hide or diminish other areas. (Obviously to an extent, because if I walked around in a giant t-shirt, it might draw some other kinds of attention.) But wearing a top with a little bit of breeziness and length to it will definitely help.
2- Dark Clothing
Most women already know that darker colors, especially black, tend to be more slimming and flattering. But another perk to dark or black clothing is that it makes it a lot easier for a photographer to edit out any bumps or shadows. This may not be the most technical explanation, but basically the darker the color or shadow is on a shirt the less light and detail there are on that material in the photograph and the less chance you have of losing that detail or noticing image alterations in post production. While pregnancy is usually a happy time and you're not in mourning, you may still want to throw some black on for your photoshoot if you're not quite ready to share that exciting news.
3-Cover it Up
This one is probably the most common method used in the film industry, because it works well, and there are so many different ways to do it! If it's colder outside, try an oversized coat or a breezy scarf draped across your front.
Another great way to hide the bump is using props. If it's more of a fashion shoot, you could use a larger purse as part of your outfit, or try holding a bouquet of flowers.
My favorite however, and I think the most natural way to cover up the baby bump, is with another person. Have her stand behind her man and wrap her arms around him from behind, or maybe add a family pet to the picture and have her hold the cat or dog in front of her body. Maybe they already have a child and you have her hug them from behind. If you can use another person in a natural way, it draws a lot less attention than an object would and makes for a more comfortable photograph.
4-Crop it Out
If hiding it just isn't an option, maybe try asking your photographer to help you out with their cropping. It's easy to do portrait shots that don't even include the bump in the first place. This can be a great option too, since these closer portraits often add a feeling of greater connection and intimacy between the couple anyways.
Another option is again using items or props as a way to crop out the stomach. Have her stand behind a flowering bush or maybe leaning on a newspaper stand on a busy city street. (I don't know, just brainstorming here!)
5-Posing and Positioning
This one kind of goes well with cropping, but a lot of times the way you pose your subjects as a photographer plays a huge role in where the emphasis goes. I think most people understand the basic concepts of shooting higher or lower to get a different result (Higher up and looking down on a subject is more slimming, while shooting upwards at a subject makes them seem powerful and larger than life.) But there's a lot more a photographer can do with posing to diminish a bump (pregnant or not.)
Basically speaking, any body part that is closer to the camera will appear larger than body parts that are farther away. To take the focus off of your midsection, lean your upper body towards the camera slightly if you're standing, or sitting, putting your head and shoulders closer to the camera and your waist farther away.
If your sitting down, try sitting crosslegged and leaning onto your knees, which not only makes your waist seem smaller, but uses your legs to help cover up your stomach even more.
WARNING: One word to the wise though- if you are thinking about having your photos taken while you're pregnant, consider how you'll be feeling. No matter how technically "flattering" an image is, we as people will always infuse our emotions into the memory of the photograph. If you were angry at your spouse that day, you'll feel it when you look at those photographs; and it's the same thing with pregnancy. If you are feeling awful, bloated, and just not your best, beautiful self, you'll connect that feeling with your images when you see them, and most likely not feel like your beautiful self in them- even if you look stunning!
So keep in mind how you feel going into a photoshoot and don't be afraid to reschedule if needed. Or, at the very least, make sure you feel pampered, relaxed and beautiful before your shoot, so you're happy with the photos when you get them back!
And check out this link to see more fun and creative ways that hollywood hides the bump!
Hopefully these tips proved helpful to you if you're in the same situation as my cousin was, and if you have any questions or comments please share them! I would love to hear how these tips worked for you!
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