Fashion Maternity Shoot by the Sea…
I had been wanting to do a maternity shoot for quite a while, and I had wanted to work with model Camille Nedelec for a while as well. So when Camille turned out to be pregnant (highly pregnant indeed, with the baby due only 3 weeks after our photoshoot), I seized the opportunity to create a pregnancy shoot with a fashion vibe—inspired by those pregnant models like Gigi Hadid and Bar Rafaeli that have graced the covers of Elle and Vogue.
No clichés. No kitsch. No cherubs on angel wings descending from the clouds. Just clean, classic, graceful images that have a timeless quality. For this reason, I decided the emphasis should be on black and white, so that these pictures would hold up and be enjoyed for many years to come.
Since the model lives close to the seaside, I decided this would be the perfect location, allowing us to add some color harmonies of blues and whites that would allow her to blend with the landscape.
Unfortunately, as is so often the case when planning a shoot on location, the weather gods chose not to cooperate. Though it was nice and sunny in my neck of the woods, when I arrived on location I was greeted by drab, overcast skies, and a gnarly, chilly sea wind that propelled me to work fast in order minimize exposing the model—and her cargo—to the cold.
At least, for black and white pictures, the overcast sky worked somewhat in our favor, adding some mood and drama to our photos.
However, since I also wanted some splashes of color, with a beautiful makeup look created by makeup artist and aesthetician Hanane Smaili, I had to find a way to brighten up the frame. Unfortunately, since the wind was so strong, a small beauty dish was about the only thing that wouldn’t blow us straight across the English Channel, so I had to work with what was available, finding that one patch of blue sky and making my main light stand in for the sun, trying to keep things looking as natural as possible.
In spite of the circumstances, we got the results I was looking for, thanks to a great team who was willing to brave the weather with me!
