When to Schedule a Maternity Photo Session in Maui

The timing of your Maui maternity photo shoot (on land or in the water) is critical - especially during your babymoon in Hawaii…

Schedule it too early, your baby bump will not be as visible and won’t take as prominent of a role in the photos. Alternatively, if you schedule your maternity shoot after the 34 week mark, you might be dealing with swelling, aches and pains, and generally feel like a photo shoot is too much work!

EVERY WOMAN IS DIFFERENT…SO LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, SEE HOW IT’S CHANGING, AND MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR YOU.

Some women are showing earlier in their pregnancy, so booking a shoot near the 6 month mark may work great! Plus you’ll be more mobile, adventurous, show less fatigue, and generally, happier and more comfortable. And trust me, you’ll want to be mobile during your time here in the islands ;-)

In general though, the best time to schedule a maternity session during your baby moon is typically anywhere between 26-34 weeks, or at the 7 to almost 8 month mark, when your bump is big enough to be seen, and you’re still in your comfortable zone.

At this point in your pregnancy, your baby will not have started to move downward - that means you’ll have a higher tummy that looks much better in a portrait than after the baby has started to move its way lower in your body. In the third trimester, your belly will be just the right size - big and beautiful, but not so big that it’s difficult for you to move around, change positions, swim, and pose for the camera.

DREAMING OF AN UNDERWATER MATERNITY SESSION IN MAUI, HAWAII?

THE EARLIER IN YOUR PREGNANCY, THE BETTER!

Think about it - you, the ocean, a dress/bikini, your growing bump, and Mother Nature - it’s a lot to manage! What we really want to avoid is you performing a water birth during our session (I’m SO serious) - so be sure to time our session when you’re not too far along and your tummy is still in it’s “floatation device” stage (usually no more than 7.5 months max).

If your tummy is too heavy, it’ll feel like a weight in the water, and that’s no fun for anyone ;-) I’ll be with you every step of the way, so rest assure that I’ll do the managing - you just show up feeling & looking your best (and lightest!) .

Salt water is super buoyant, but there are currents, sometimes waves, and you may need to tread water if you really want some of the deep, underwater shots (like the ones above + below). Fabrics like chiffon and tulle do really well in the water and look amazing when you can get them to float just right - so plan accordingly to make your time in the water, as effortless as possible.

See some wardrobe tips from my blog on “Planning your Wardrobe for Your Maternity Session”.

My biggest advice? Don’t wait until the last minute to schedule your photo shoot! Plan ahead with your photographer and get on their calendar well in advance - especially if you’re in the process of planning your Maui BabyMoon. Trust me…it’s worth it!

#1 Reason You Should Have Your BabyMoon on Maui

LEMME GUESS…

A) You just found out you’re pregnant (yay!)

B) You’re currently pregnant and JUST started thinking about a baby moon trip..

C) Or, you’re about to pop and haven’t even thought about a baby moon until RIGHT. THIS. MOMENT.

Well…let me help you make one of the most important decisions of your pregnancy! Whether it’s your 1st, 2nd, or 5th child, every pregnancy is special and deserves to be in the spotlight…especially during your baby moon to Maui!

SO WHAT’S THE #1 REASON YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR BABY MOON ON MAUI YOU ASK???

TO HAVE THE MOST ADVENTUROUS, AUTHENTIC & FUN LAND/OCEAN MATERNITY SESSION WITH ME OF COURSE!!!

So let’s get this process started shall we?

STEP 1) Book a flight to Hawaii! Any island is gorgeous, and they’re all ridiculously magical & full of images of paradise you’ve only dreamed of. But Amanda…we’re kind of in the middle of a global pandemic…are you nuts?!? By nature, yes 🙃 but I’m not talking about now! I’m talking about planning for your future, especially if timing lines up right for you & yours and it’s anytime after June 2020 (maybe later, I’m just being optimistic)! Obviously travel is restricted right now, but that shouldn’t stop you from thinking into the future and reserving those dates!

STEP 2) BUT!!! You should know I’m located on the Island of Maui, so keep your costs down and come here for a visit, book a Maui maternity photo session with me, and instead, invest those pesky travel fees to other islands into your child’s future college fund! Maui is totally worth a visit, even if it’s only for a few days (and even if it’s only to see me!), so if it’s the latter, I can guarantee it’ll be even MORE worth it!

STEP 3) Let’s talk about a Land or Ocean session (or BOTH!), capturing your growing bump & love for one another! The water here is practically as warm and cozy as a nice warm bath, so consider having your session in the ocean - it’s fun and the results? STUNNING and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before!

STEP 4) Let’s get you locked in, discuss wardrobe, hair, makeup, location, and all those other fun things us gals can’t get enough of. Plus, we’ve got plenty of time to get to know each other via text, email, phone, whatever you prefer. I’m all yours and here to assist in planning for your session in any + every way possible!

And these photos below? From a beautiful growing family that scheduled a VERY last minute maternity session on land + in the ocean✨

Majestic Hawaiian Maternity Photos

WHO: ASHLEY + COLIN | WHERE: MAUI, HAWAII | WHY: MATERNITY/BABYMOON SESSION

What’s your favorite place to escape to? What about for your baby moon? For many, it’s Maui, Hawaii, and for good reason!

Visiting Maui or the Hawaiian Islands in general, for the first time is magical…am I right? But when it’s your first time to Maui AND your first pregnancy?!? Wow. Combine that with a maternity photo session (with me) on one of Maui’s gorgeous beaches? Consider your minds blown!!!

Living here has it’s plethora of benefits…but when I get to meet clients who are just in awe of every corner they turn WHILE beaming from ear to ear because they’re expecting? I’m speechless every time!

So when I met Ashley & Colin, they were as laid-back, adorable, and majestic as they come. Not only was their love for each other so obvious it could break a lens…their sense of adventure with one another was one for the books - and blogs (ahem…).

And ladies…take note on her dresses - they just FLOW! And believe me when I tell you, the more they flow, the better! ;-)

FYI her blue dress is from Free People…

Golden Maui Maternity Portraits

WHO: MELODY + JEFF | WHERE: WAILEA, MAUI, HAWAII | WHY: BABYMOON

Ever wonder where those who used to live on Maui, go on vacation or for their babymoon? Yup…still Maui!

Enter Melody + Jeff. Two lovebirds who currently live on the West Coast and fell in love after years of working together with children. If that isn’t a qualification for an “already awesome parents” award, I don’t know what is!

Melody is originally from Maui, but hadn’t been back for a visit for quite some time (and I mean QUITE some time!). So for these two, it was almost as if it was their first time all over again. But this time…it was for their very first baby moon - and they were just “over-the-moon”!

To say our time together during their Maui maternity portraits wasn’t well spent, would be a lie. I had a blast - even when the ocean decided to creep up on us a few times unexpectedly! Thank you both for being so genuinely you & letting down your guards on your first professional Maui photo session ever! You’re both naturals and I can’t wait to meet your little one next year <3

Gorgeous Haku Crown by: @Petite.Maui

Oahu Ocean Maternity Adventures

Weather reports across the Hawaiian Islands were going bonkers. Tropical Storms or Hurricanes? How many are to the North and South? Will they miss us? Luckily they both did, and simultaneously (phew)! But not without gifting us with some turbulent, milky waters, and lots of cloudy skies and rain showers.

Insert Vivian & Louis. 30 weeks pregnant and as adorable as ever…vacationing on Oahu. They found my underwater Maui maternity photos so breathtaking, that they just had to fly me over to Oahu to capture these once-in-a-lifetime photos…so off I went!

I swear, my full-time job isn’t being a Photographer - it’s being a Weathergal! The amount of time I spend checking the weather, analyzing ocean conditions, wind & sun direction, is just bananas! It’s part of my job, and my life as a surfer. But when it comes to working around Mother Nature for scheduled maternity photo sessions? I should seriously start my own reporting station! (Past clients…you know this and thank you all for sticking through the “storms” that may or may not have happened. You all rock!).

Shoot time: Sunrise.

Forecast: Ocean conditions: Murky all over the island, NSEW. Currents: Even more bananas. Swell: 5-7 ft faces. Weather: 60% chance of rain.

Actual Session Conditions: Ocean: Murky & 2-5 ft. Currents: Still bananas. Weather: 0% chance of rain.

So what did we do? Shot at my favorite North Shore Oahu location for the land portion, then travelled 10 minutes to another location for calmer waters & stunning backdrops. The result?

This.

Mahalo Vivian & Louis - you two were beyond “great” xo

The Most Beautiful Maui Babymoon Portraits

WHO: Sarah + Kuali’i | WHERE: Lahaina, Hawaii | WHY: 7 month Maternity Shoot

First off…I just LOVE underwater Maui maternity sessions! They literally feed my soul - they honestly and wholeheartedly “complete me” <3

So when I met Sarah & Kuali’i via Instagram, I just knew that our session was going to completely rock the casbah for so many reasons…

We started on land as all my MAKAI Land & Ocean sessions do, then we slowly worked our way into, then under the water, because the clarity was THAT good at Sunset!

Thankfully they both were even more experienced in the water than we had initially discussed (to book my water sessions, it’s a “must” that my clients are experienced to expert swimmers. Hawaiian oceans are no joke!). Kua, who is originally from Maui, also paddled for Hawaiian Canoe Club like myself, so naturally, we had ALOT of mutual friends and tons of experience with the ocean and it’s conditions. Sarah is a beautifully talented dancer and hair/makeup artist, so believe me when I say, this girl worked it in the water! Her toes? ALWAYS POINTED 😉. Her swimming abilities? Flawless.

The finished product was exactly what I had hoped for and so much more. See for yourself…

Stunning Maternity Photos | Lahaina, Maui

WHERE: LAHAINA, HI  |  WHO:  DIANNE + DUSTIN  |  WHY: MATERNITY PHOTOS

For this Maui Maternity Photo session, the wind was prevalent all over Maui…and I mean eeeeeeevvvvvvverywhere! There are only a few spots on island where you can fully escape the drifts, whips, and squalls, regardless of the wind direction…so I made sure we made the most of our little hideaway as best we could - and boy did we!

Dianne & Dustin arrived on Maui for their baby moon…their FIRST baby moon…and they were just smitten. A little bummed because of the winds, but obviously, Maui delivers when it comes to beauty (regardless of weather). A little mix of sunshine, calm waters, a slight warm breeze and a couple that radiated love & excitement for their new lil one, made this session so effortlessly beautiful - I literally could have photographed them for dayyyyys!

Thank you both so much for your positivity, wonderful conversations, and easy-going nature <3 Water sessions aren’t easy, but with a little extra time & effort, they always end up breathtaking!

Beautiful Sunrise Family Session | Makena, HI

WHERE: MAKENA, HAWAII | WHO: MINI & HER ADORABLE FAMILY | WHY: FAMILY & MATERNITY SESSION

Mom & Dad contacted me about a Sunrise Maui Family & Maternity Photoshoot with visions of pastels, neutrals, some greenery, lots of lava rock, and some bright sunshine to capture her growing tummy, her husband, and their adorable son. Luckily, this location at Sunrise is perfect for all of the above!

I always arrive slightly early to my sessions in hopes I can be there before my clients so they have a reference point…but in this case, this family had already arrived! And apparently, they’d been there for over 30 minutes just taking in all the beauty! I mean…can you blame them?

Some of my favorite moments from my Sunrise Session with this adorable family at one of Maui’s most gorgeous beaches in Makena <3