What happens during a maternity photoshoot at Natalie Vell Studio?

Most women arrive not knowing what a studio session actually involves, and that uncertainty is the thing they mention afterwards as the part they need not have worried about. So here is the whole appointment in order.

Everything happens at the private studio at 1220 Melody Lane, Suite 180, Roseville, by appointment.

Before the day

You receive preparation guidance so you know what to bring and how to plan the day. We agree the direction of the session — soft, dramatic, editorial, minimalist — and whether your partner, children or a pet are joining and when they should arrive.

Arrival and beauty preparation

If hair and makeup are part of your experience they happen here, before photography begins, so the whole appointment stays in one private space. Nothing runs on a public schedule and nobody else is passing through.

Choosing the looks

We go through the studio wardrobe together — gowns, fabrics, bodysuits, accessories and statement pieces — along with whatever you brought from home. We settle the order before we start, because the order decides how the lighting changes through the session.

The first look

The first ten minutes are the ones people dread and the ones that turn out to matter least. I demonstrate every pose before you are asked to hold it, and I direct your hands, posture, shoulders, chin and expression continuously. You are never left standing there deciding what to do.

No modeling experience is needed. That is not reassurance, it is the design of the session.

Moving through the looks

Each change means new wardrobe, usually new lighting, and sometimes a different background. By the second or third look almost everyone has stopped thinking about the camera, which is when the photographs get noticeably better.

The family portion

If your partner and children are joining, they arrive for their part rather than sitting through the whole appointment. Everyone is given direction, including the people who dislike being photographed. Afterwards they can leave, and the rest of the session is yours again.

Afterwards

Within approximately one to two days your unedited, straight-from-the-camera images are uploaded to a private online gallery. You review them and select the photographs you would like professionally retouched, according to your package.

Once you have made your selections and told the studio, your finished retouched photographs are delivered within 21 business days. Additional retouched images may be purchased for $20 each.

The proof gallery is part of choosing, not a preview of the finished work — unedited images are not presented as finished Natalie Vell photographs.

What to expect of yourself

You do not need to know how to pose, what to wear, or what to do with your hands. You need to turn up, follow direction and let the session take the time it takes. Everything else is my job.

What to bring on the day