Maternity Photography Galway | Yann Studios
Of all the photographs a family keeps, the maternity portrait is one of the few they look back at and feel quietly glad they had taken. The nine months pass quickly, the bump is gone before you know it, and a proper photograph of those weeks is something you only ever take once.
We have been photographing Galway families since 1949. A good many of them came to us for the first time during a pregnancy, then again a few weeks later with the newborn, then again with the child, and sometimes years on with the next generation. A maternity sitting is often where the long relationship with the studio begins.
Our approach
A maternity sitting at Yann Studios is calm and unhurried. Pregnancy photography has its own particular skill, and a fast, busy shoot is not what most mothers want at that stage. We take the time to settle you in, work at your pace, and adjust as we go.
The studio is purpose-built, warm and private, with parking at the door and no public foot traffic to think about. A great many mothers tell us afterwards that the calm of the room itself was half the reason the photographs came out the way they did.
Partners are welcome, and so are older siblings if you would like them in the frame. Some mothers prefer to be photographed on their own. Others want a mix. We follow what feels right for you rather than asking you to fit a single template.
When to book
The most flattering window for maternity portraits is between 28 and 34 weeks, ideally before 36. By then the bump is established and unmistakable, but you are still comfortable enough to sit, stand and move easily through a session.
We have photographed mothers earlier and later than this with lovely results, so if you are reading this further along than 34 weeks, get in touch anyway. We will usually find a way to make it work.
The earlier in the second trimester you book the date, the better the choice of slots, particularly for evenings and weekends.
What to wear
Fitted fabrics show the bump cleanly. Loose, draping cuts can hide what the photograph is actually about. Long flowing dresses photograph beautifully, especially in deeper tones. Most mothers bring two or three changes, so the gallery has a bit of variety, and we usually photograph a dressed look and something softer or more intimate. If you are not sure what to bring, ask us when you book. We have seen enough sittings to know what tends to photograph well and what does not.
At home, in the studio, or outdoors
Most maternity sittings here take place in the studio, where light, temperature and pace are all in our control. For most mothers, that is the right environment.
Some prefer to be photographed at home, in their own surroundings, with their own things around them. A sunlit corner of the bedroom or the kitchen carries a personal meaning that no studio can quite replicate, and for the right family, a home sitting produces something different. We are glad to come to you.
Outdoor maternity sittings around Galway work well in the warmer months. The Connemara coastline and the woodland at Coole Park both suit them. Worth a
After the session
A maternity portrait is the kind of photograph people want printed, not left on a hard drive. We treat the prints, framed pieces and albums as the point of the work rather than an afterthought. You will see the images at the studio afterwards, and we will help you choose the pieces worth living with. There is no pressure to take more than you want, and we will tell you honestly which images will hold up at size and which to put away. Three generations of doing this gives us a reasonably good eye for that.
And after the baby arrives
For many of our maternity clients, the next call is for a newborn sitting a few weeks after the birth. The two go naturally together, and the same warmth of the studio that makes pregnancy sittings calm makes newborn sittings calmer still. If you would like to talk through the newborn one when you book the maternity, we can pencil in a date for the weeks after your due and confirm it closer to the time.
You can read more about newborn photography at Yann Studios on our newborn page.
Booking
The studio is at Lakeview Point in Claregalway Corporate Park, fifteen minutes from the city, with free parking at the door in a spacious car park. We photograph maternity sittings across Galway and regularly into Mayo and Clare.
Call us on 087 099 3990 or get in touch through our contact page. And try to have them taken before we end up taking the baby’s photos.