How to take gorgeous milk bath maternity photos

 

In maternity photography, it seems that milk bath portraits are the new black, and why not—they look ahh-mazing!

So how do you do these things?

In reality, do you fill the bath with milk or is the water coloured?

Are they new, dried or artificial flowers?

The shooting of milk baths is a sub-genre of portrait photography. It focuses on minimalist, realistic pictures. You will reflect on your face and body due to all of the white negative space.

A lot of people equate this technique with Whoopi Goldberg's iconic image peering out of a milk bath. Annie Leibovitz took the iconic photo. The idea has been universally beloved since then.

Let's see how you, too, can make lovely images of milk baths.

1. The Setting

You'll need a bathtub first, of course. It's best to pick one that will let in lots of natural light near a wide window. You may also try bouncing a flash against a wide white wall or curtain, but it is safer to avoid yellow bathroom lighting. When you don't have convenient access to an adequate bathtub, a local hotel room is a nice choice.

2. The Model

We recommend shooting within 32-34 weeks for maternity pictures. Be sure to pretty up and get your hair and makeup done for the best performance.

 Milk bath maternity photos blog the pod collection 1 

3. The Flowers

 We used some garden roses, dahlias, and a few others for the pictures you see here. I would recommend that you get an idea of what sorts of flowers you want and describe them to the nearest florist.

It's better to err in the side by buying more kinds of flowers, as well as a somewhat bigger number than you're planning to use, and when you're in the shower, you wouldn't want to run out of flowers or variety suddenly.

Milk bath maternity photos blog the pod collection 2 

 4. The Dress

It can be short or long if you want to wear a dress, just be sure to choose one that suits your curves closely and shows off your body. For this sort of shot, dresses that have a more natural fit appear to fill the pool and can be less flattering. Getting a dress, though, is simply optional!  

Milk bath maternity photos blog the pod collection 3

5. The Milk Bath

It's time to bring them all together now that all the ingredients are ready. Make sure to measure the temperature by filling your tub with warm water! Plus 1-2 gallons of milk, whole. To hit the optimal opacity, begin with a gallon and steadily add more.

Make sure to put it on first if you're wearing a dress (do not forget to strip off any tags that may be visible), and get into the shower carefully, attempting to keep your hair and as much of the upper portion of the dress as dry as possible.

Then, put flowers all around and inside the tub carefully. The flowers will last until the photo session, but for a little time, the hair and dress will still be dry, so be sure to get some pictures quickly before they get too muddy.

Milk bath maternity photos blog the pod collection 4 

Until you get what you want, play with various poses and angles, and rearrange the flowers as appropriate, as they drift around quite a bit. And relax, of course, and have fun!

I hope that was beneficial, and we can't wait to see the gorgeous photos you're making!