On the day
Is professional hair and makeup worth it for maternity photos?
For most women, yes — but not for the reason people expect. Studio hair and makeup is not about looking like someone else. It is about being made up for light that is far stronger than daylight, and staying that way for the length of the session.
It is included with the Premium experience and can be added to an eligible package for $399.
What studio light does to everyday makeup
Makeup applied for a normal day is built for normal light. Under studio lighting it tends to disappear rather than exaggerate — features flatten, eyes recede, and the face reads softer than it looks in the mirror.
Makeup for photography is applied with that in mind. It looks slightly more defined in person than you might choose for yourself, and correct on camera. That difference is the whole job.
It also lasts
A session involves warm lights, wardrobe changes and, quite often, emotion. Your own makeup has to survive all of that if the last look is going to photograph as well as the first.
It happens here, before photography begins
Beauty preparation takes place inside the studio, so the whole appointment happens in one private space. You are not driving across town half-finished and arriving with your hair already fighting you, and there is no gap between being ready and being photographed.
When to skip it
Skip it if you do your own makeup confidently and know how it photographs, if you genuinely dislike how you look made up, or if you would rather put the money toward printed artwork. None of those are wrong answers — the point of the session is that you recognize yourself in the photographs.
If you are doing your own, apply slightly more than usual around the eyes, keep the skin matte, and avoid anything containing SPF, which can reflect the light and leave a pale cast on the face.
How to decide
- You are already choosing Premium — it is included, so there is nothing to decide.
- This is your only professional session and you want it to feel like an occasion — add it.
- You do your own makeup well and often — you may not need it.
- You are unsure how your makeup photographs — that uncertainty is exactly what the $399 removes.
Frequently asked questions
It is included with the Premium experience and may be added to an eligible package for $399.
At the studio, before photography begins, so the whole appointment takes place in one private space.
Yes. It is applied for studio light rather than for a different face, and looks slightly more defined in person than on camera.
Of course. Keep the skin matte, apply a little more around the eyes than usual, and avoid products containing SPF, which can reflect the light.
The schedule is confirmed with you when the session is booked.