The Beauty of Maternity Photography | Tokyo's Specialized Maternity Photo Studio Mozart

The Charm of Maternity Photos

Table of Contents

Maternity photos preserve the miracle of pregnancy.
Did you know that this trend, which started among overseas celebrities, is becoming popular in Japan?
Maternity photos are photos taken to commemorate pregnancy.
The joy of pregnancy and the mysterious curves of the body that can only be seen during pregnancy.
Wouldn’t you like to preserve these memorial photos that can only be taken “right now” in your life?

Maternity photos spread from overseas celebrities through SNS

Maternity photos are already common overseas.
First, let’s introduce some maternity photos of celebrities that have attracted attention in recent years.

The first is Courtney Kardashian, a representative American talent and entrepreneur.
She posted a cool maternity photo on Instagram, wrapped in chic black leather and lace.
She commented on this photo, saying “Pregnancy gives me so much strength.”
Her powerful gaze in the photo seems to confirm this.
The characteristic of this maternity photo is how she gently cradles her revealed mysterious belly curve with both hands wearing black lace gloves.
This pose creates a sense of warmth even in a monochrome photo.
The accents are the shine of the leather and the nude lipstick.
These two elements resonate perfectly, creating a photo that showcases the photographer’s skill.

Popular model Gigi Hadid’s maternity photo is another one that attracted attention.

Her appearance wrapped in a white long dress like a mythological goddess, combined with her well-proportioned features as a model, resembles an ancient Greek sculpture.
While the white dress creates beautiful folds at the chest and feet, there are no folds on the round belly emphasized by turning sideways, creating a beautiful contrast that is very impressive.
It’s also fun to see the shooting scene in this maternity photo.

Nicki Minaj’s maternity photo is impressive for its pop and colorful finish, like a scene from a music video.
True to her style as a rapper and singer-songwriter, she wears a uniquely designed bikini in her own way.
A bikini decorated like candy and stylish high heels.
These elements create a pop and stylish atmosphere throughout the screen, leaving us speechless.
The pose is like sitting sideways in a formal kneeling position, but the emphasized round belly and hips create a beautiful S-curve, showcasing the photographer’s high sense of style.

Let’s also introduce maternity photos of Japanese celebrities.

Recently, Tomomi Itano’s maternity photo posted on Instagram attracted attention.
It’s a color photo taken in a studio, beautifully highlighting her well-proportioned features that still retain a girlish charm.
Against a gray background and black clothing, the slight redness in her cheeks and red lips stand out vividly.
These create excellent accents in a photo dominated by monochrome tones.
From her small face with good complexion to her grown belly, it creates a beautiful reverse S-curve that naturally draws the viewer’s gaze to the belly. She’s wearing a black high-neck top made of highly stretchable material.
This gently wraps her beautiful curved belly in a sideways pose, making the unique body line of pregnancy stand out beautifully in this eye-catching photo.

Arisa Sato chose to publish a maternity photo that deliberately doesn’t emphasize the belly.

Although wearing a white maternity dress, the size of her belly isn’t visible as she’s standing straight.
However, surrounded by her husband and relatives with smiles, and with friends lovingly placing their hands on her belly from both sides, it subtly lets us know this is a maternity photo.
What a stylish composition, and it’s a wonderful photo that shows how much the people around her are happy about her pregnancy.

Celebrity maternity photos are often taken by skilled professional photographers.

Of course, there’s no definition that says “you must take maternity photos this way” or “you must hire a professional photographer.”
You can casually take photos at home with your smartphone as a daily moment.
However, the maternity photos celebrities want to take are not just “life records” but “art” works that move anyone who sees them.
Especially since they’re posted on SNS, we can see they’re taken with high-level staff regarding outfits and poses.

“Beautiful maternity photos are a luxury. Only people with money and connections can do that.”
Many people might have this image.
That’s not true.
Now is the era when anyone can have beautiful maternity photos taken.
Studio Mozart in Tokyo specializes in artistic maternity photos like those posted by celebrities on SNS.
Preserving the miraculous period of “pregnancy” that you can’t experience many times in life as an artistic work.
If you’re going to preserve maternity photos, why not take them at a studio that can create something completely different from daily moments – something extraordinary and beautiful?

Maternity photos are the first picture of a family’s new beginning

Maternity photos are also the first picture of a new beginning for couples.
The pregnancy period is, on average, just over 9 months.
Considering the long childcare period that awaits after childbirth, it’s very short, isn’t it?
Precious commemorative photos that can only be taken at that time.
That’s what maternity photos are.

After childbirth, you’ll take photos at various milestones of your child’s life, from the first shrine visit to the 7-5-3 celebration.

Maternity photos are, so to speak, the starting point of family photos.
Not just for couples, but also for the child to be born, they have a strong message: “We were looking forward to your birth this much.”
An item that deepens family bonds – that’s one of the roles maternity photos play.
Photos have the power to support life.
Because photos are taken during happy and enjoyable times.
When you look back at them when you hit a wall or feel down, they can remind you of the happy feelings of that time and help you move forward.
Why not take “maternity photos” as one of these supportive happy photos?

The belly starts to form beautiful lines around 9 months

When you search for “maternity photos” on the internet, photos with beautiful round bellies catch your eye one after another.
If you want to take maternity photos, you’d want to take them when your belly size is visible, right?
Those beautiful curves, though varying by individual, typically appear around 7-9 months of pregnancy.
If you’re taking photos with clothes on without revealing your belly, it’s recommended to take them as late in pregnancy as possible.
However, we don’t recommend taking them too close to the due date.
The closer to the due date, the more difficult it becomes to manage your physical condition.
This period can be busy with preparations for childbirth, and it might be hard to maintain emotional composure.
A period when you don’t know when the baby will be born isn’t suitable for taking once-in-a-lifetime commemorative photos.
On the other hand, if you’re pregnant with twins or your second child, though it varies by individual, the timing of belly growth tends to be earlier.
Even in early or mid-pregnancy, your belly might be large enough to take beautiful maternity photos.
It’s good to consult with the studio about shooting dates early.
However, for those with severe morning sickness, it’s good to aim for around 5-7 months of pregnancy when your physical condition is relatively stable.

Should you show your belly in maternity photos?

Pregnancy is a special moment that you can count on your fingers in life.
Especially in your first pregnancy, many people want to take photos of their growing belly as a record.
In cases where you casually take photos at home with your smartphone as a daily moment, many people take photos in a style that reveals their belly by lifting their clothes.

When taking photos at a photo studio or photo studio, belly painting is popular.
Belly painting refers to illustrations or text drawn on the belly.
It’s common to express the joy of being blessed with a baby through pop design illustrations or text, and you can have fun drawing together with your husband, or some people even hire professional illustrators.
Popular poses include gently placing hands on the bare belly with your husband, or forming a heart shape with both hands.

More people are choosing to take photos wearing maternity dresses that emphasize the belly without revealing bare skin.
Unlike taking photos at home in a cozy atmosphere, studio photography can make some people feel colder than usual due to nervousness.
Some pregnant women worry about stretch marks or the linea nigra showing in photos, and some feel uncomfortable showing skin when the photographer is male.

Maternity photos not only become commemorative photos when finished, but the shooting itself becomes a fun memory.
Many people enjoy it in their own style.
Regarding whether to show your belly or not, it’s best to take photos in the style you want, without being influenced by trends or others’ opinions.
Let’s take beautiful maternity photos in your own style!

Pay attention to outfits for maternity photos

Looking at celebrities’ maternity photos, they pay quite a bit of attention to their outfits, don’t they?
It’s a commemorative photo after all.
Why not choose a nice outfit to make it a good memory of your pregnancy?
The orthodox choice is a maternity dress that clearly shows your rounded belly.
Since it’s a dress you can only wear during pregnancy, it’s nice to be bold and try it.
The advantage of maternity dresses is that they don’t put pressure on your important belly, and they make it easy to pose even with a large belly.
There are roughly two types of dresses: one is a dress made of stretchable material that fits closely to your body line.
The other is a separate type dress with an open belly area.
Both are perfect designs for emphasizing your beautiful rounded belly.
Since it’s a special occasion, it’s also recommended to try both.

Taking photos in a wedding dress adapted for maternity is also popular.

Recently, more couples are choosing not to have wedding ceremonies.
It’s nice to take photos in a wedding photo style during the peak of happiness – marriage and pregnancy.
Also, wedding dresses have the advantage of having more design options.
Dresses with shoulder straps that support the weight of the dress, which would put less strain on the belly.
Or A-line dresses that spread out at the hem are also recommended.

Some people might prefer Japanese traditional clothing.
You can take maternity photos in kimono too.
By slightly adjusting how you tie the obi, you can wear it without problems even during pregnancy.
For Japanese traditional clothing, it’s reassuring to have someone with experience in dressing pregnant women do the dressing.

If you want to take photos in casual clothes you own, we recommend one-piece dresses that fit closely to your body line, or highly stretchable maternity jeans.
The advantage of taking maternity photos in casual style is that you can take photos with matching outfits with your husband or older children.
Also, with casual style, it blends in nicely when displayed in your room along with other family photos.

Look for a studio with proper equipment and experience in maternity photography

There are many photo studios and photo studios that take commemorative photos throughout Japan.
Finally, let me introduce some hints for choosing a studio.

Since each studio has different professional photographers, the finished style varies.
Studio websites usually have sample photos as examples of their work, so it’s good to choose a studio based on these “works.”
Choosing a studio because it’s nearby, you’ve used it before, or you know the staff is also one way.
If there’s a studio you’re interested in, it’s recommended to check the studio’s website and choose based on shooting menus, track record, and experience with maternity photos.

Studios with rich experience in maternity photos or those that list it as a main menu are more reassuring.
Because during pregnancy, your physical condition can change with just a little stress.
Studios familiar with maternity photos understand that physical condition can change easily during pregnancy.
You can expect appropriate support and follow-up when you need to change the schedule because you don’t feel well on the reserved day, or when you want to take a break during the shoot.
Also, among pregnant women, it’s not uncommon to have poor complexion due to constant anemia, or to be troubled by skin problems or fine wrinkles that weren’t there before.
Studios familiar with maternity photos can be expected to be skilled in correcting complexion or making fine wrinkles and skin problems less noticeable.
They can also suggest various things like adjusting poses and composition for those who have gained weight during pregnancy, or elegant monochrome photography to lift the spirits of the pregnant model, making the shoot enjoyable.

Another important thing is to choose a studio with a clear vision of “how you want to be photographed.”
Depending on the photographer and studio equipment, they might be good at retro-style photos, or “warm and fuzzy” or “homey” style photos, or their selling point might be taking photos outdoors with beaches or grasslands as backgrounds.
For example, Studio Mozart specializes in artistic maternity photos like those posted by celebrities on Instagram.
We highly recommend it for those who want artistic and atmospheric maternity photos!

Summary

Maternity photos are becoming a trend in Japan.
When choosing a studio, it’s important to have a vision of “what kind of photos you want.”
For example, if you want artistic photos like celebrities, choose a photo studio or photo studio with a track record.
Studios familiar with maternity photos understand the circumstances of pregnant women whose physical condition can change easily, so things should go smoothly.