Maternity photos are probably the most emotional images I work on. There is a type of solemn pride and vulnerability that comes at this time in a woman's life. My job isn't to alter the way a person looks. It's to show how this moment actually felt - peaceful, powerful, feminine - and to remove anything that takes away from it.
When a maternity photographer sends me an image via email, I first see it emotionally, not technically. Is the mood serene? Does the light highlight her silhouette? Does the garment or posture relate to or detract from the narrative? Retouching starts with intent, not sliders.
My default maternity retouching workflow step by step
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Light and atmosphere first
I manipulate around white balance, light softness, shadows to enhance mood. Maternity photography can certainly benefit from warm, flattering color, not too golden, not too digital-chill.
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Sculpting, not slimming
I never modify body proportions in unnatural directions. Instead, I gently push fabric lines, relax wrinkles, streamline posture and balance. Picture couture finishing, not Photoshop face-tweaking.
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Intelligently retouched skin
The hormonal flushing, small bumps, and uneven tones have vanished. It has kept natural pores, glowing texture, and softness in highlights, and I do not blur skin, I save the texture.
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Flawless dress and fabric
The hormonal flushing, small bumps, and uneven tones have vanished. It has kept natural pores, glowing texture, and softness in highlights, and I do not blur skin, I save the texture.
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Artistic touch
I enhance the direction of light, gently lift the eyes, or add cinematic softness or fine-art matte based on the style of the photographer.
The goal of the editing I do is to make everything feel graceful and timeless, never "edited" feeling. A well-retouched maternity portrait should never feel like it has been retouched with Photoshop. It should feel like how she saw herself in that moment: graceful, calm, and fully present.