Eve turns one...

This session was particularly special, not only was it a maternity and family mini session but it was this sweet baby girls first birthday and to celebrate and relax before baby number two came along the family were staying in a hotel which is where the session took place.

It was such a lovely morning and session, especially once we removed the balloons which poor little eve wasn't overly fond of ;) Happy birthday sweet girl and I wish all you every happiness when you become a family of four xox

A dinkyheart maternity session

I'm often contacted by expectant mamas who are considering a maternity shoot but are unsure if its really for them. I'm here to tell you it is!

When I was asked to do my first maternity session for a friend I must admit I was dubious, it wasn't really the type of photography I was used to and I wasn't completely sure of the purpose of it, but she managed to twist my arm, and now I totally get it! In fact maternity sessions are now one of my favourite's. The excitement, anticipation and love that is present in these sessions is incredible. Its new and unique for every couple, as they approach such a life changing event, and for me to document all of this is just magical. 

Most prospective clients have lots of questions, they want to know when and where to have the maternity session, what they should wear, and how to convince their husband to get involved, I hope this blog post will answer all of those questions and even get hubby excited at the thought of a maternity session. 

Location
A maternity session can be held at your home or an outside location, I personally love a beach maternity session and at sunset it just adds to the romance and excitement of it all, however a home session is very intimate and perhaps more relaxing for some people, this is something we can discuss in more detail, it really depends what you hope to get from the images and what you want to do with them.

Timing

As a general rule I recommend you book in your maternity session between 32-37 weeks, I recommend this time frame, as (in my opinion) your bump is usually a nice size and shape by then and you still feel like your yourself, you're still reasonably active and able to move around for the session, but of course everyone is different so this is just a guide, you being comfortable is the most important thing.

Posing

As with all of my sessions, a maternity session is very relaxed and not overly posed. I will suggest particular ways to stand in order to excentuate your bump and flatter your figure, and I will move around you to get the shot and angle I require. I find the session to be a time of realization and excitement, you spend much of the time talking about the little ones arrival and filling me in on your plans and I capture all of that excitement in the images, it really is a beautiful time for an expectant couple and very little posing is needed to reflect that. 

Outfits

The most important points here are that you are comfortable in what you're wearing and that your outfit shows off your bump. I recommend to my clients that they bring at least 2 outfits to a session, and one of those should clearly show your bump, a long skirt with a tight vest top that can be pulled up for example. The second outfit should be something that you love and that you are comfortable in. If you're a hat person bring a hat, if you love scarves like me, then bring one, and if you love chunky jewelry then wear it, because, although my sessions have a particular feel to them I also want them to be individual to you and your style. But again I would remind you that the outfit should highlight your bump, although floaty dresses are lovely they can look a bit shapeless, a tight maxi, or dress that nips in around the bump will look better in the photos.  

Block colours tend to work better than patterns as they don't draw the attention away form the bump,  and as a general rule light, natural colours work well for at home maternity session, remember though you're the one who will have the photos on your wall so make sure you like the colours of your outfits. 

Take a look at my pinterest board for more inspiration and also through my maternity gallery for examples of what other expectant mammas have worn, but remember above all its very important that you're comfortable in what you're wearing. If you need any more advice or to talk through your ideas just drop me an email, I love to talk outfits ;) xox

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Jamila & Mark

As the sun set across the ocean I met Jamila and Mark at a beach along Al Sufouh Road, a spot that I can usually rely on to be fairly empty… but today was a holiday and the beach was filled with families, cars, dogs, barbecues, wind breakers, the lot… whilst a bit of atmosphere can add to a shoot this was not the relaxing vibe we were after for a romantic maternity session, so we jumped back in the cars and whizzed along Beach Road, weaving between houses trying to find another beach that hadn't been discovered by the hoards ;) 

Thankfully we came across this one, just opposite Bu Qtair (an awesome little fish shack serving a variety of fish caught that day) and although there were still a few families making the most of the long weekend we were able to relax and and get some beautiful photos of this stunning Mama to be! xox

Al Qtair fish restaurant… a must try if you're in Dubai!

Back to Dubai I Go...

Its after 11pm and I've been frantically packing and organizing myself all evening for another trip to Dubai for 11 photo shoots in 11 days! You'd think I'd having packing down to a fine art by now… with this being my 7th trip away so far this year... but still I try on each outfit, hoping that it will be ok to wear the same pair of shoes with each one but always deciding that I need at least 3 pairs - black, nude and wedges of course, not to mention the 4 pairs of flats, and so the cycle continues. 

But today I had to make these extremely important decisions quickly, as I had so many other things to do. I've been working super hard with my business mentor Charlie this week, from completely redesigning my website (which is still a work in progress), to setting up mailing lists, getting business cards designed and printed and untangling all the horrible technical stuff in between I've really had my work cut out… but its funny how none of it feels like hard work at all... even when I drag myself to bed at 2am with square eyes from staring at a monitor for the last 6 hours, or when my husband complains that we're having take away yet again… I guess when you're working towards your own dreams of success it feels easy and worthwhile. 

So as I download my uni assignment that I will write on the plane tomorrow and reply to my clients about locations, outfits, and timings, I feel blessed to be doing what i love and especially to catching up with this gorgeous lot this week xox

Mike & Kay

I caught up with Mike and Kay for their maternity shoot a few weeks ago on a secluded beach on the palm. Kay looked amazing and the whole shoot was very relaxed, we took some bump pics whilst excitedly chatting about the little ones arrival. 

Cant wait to meet the little one in a week or so... Eeek... pics to follow xoxox

Sunset maternity session

I'm really excited to share this post of my dear friend and partner of dinkyheart, Kimberley in her 30th week of pregnancy. 

It was a manic rush to squeeze in her photoshoot before she left to go home to the UK for the remainder of her pregnancy and the birth of the little one. Our grand plans of going to the desert, doing home and location shoots over the period of her pregnancy with props etc, etc, were cut short and we found ourselves rushing to the beach at 6pm, just hours before the flight. As it turns out, this was all we needed. The light was beautiful, it was tranquil, there was nobody around and we just hung out on the beach until it got dark! I'm so pleased to have been able to capture this special time for such a wonderful friend and can't wait to meet the little one when he or she arrives... look out for the newest mini member of dinkyheart in a few months time ;) xoxox