BENGALURU: Motherhood is being brave and nurturing that selfless love for one’s children. Though it shines in all seasons but children grow older with time. Hence, documenting the maternity phase for many has now become all the more important.
Earlier, taking pictures of the maternity phase was unheard of but over the past few years, we have seen a growing trend in professional maternity photoshoots. To get an overall view of maternity photoshoot as a profession and the growing trend among would-be moms, we speak to mothers and photographers in the city to understand their experiences.
Amrita Samath, founder and photographer of ‘MommyshotsbyAmrita’, started her venture in 2013 when no one else was in the business of maternity and child photography. The journey wasn’t a cakewalk though. “A mother’s bump doesn’t have to be something you cover up or something you stick to a taboo too. But that opening up has created a huge trend in the country. And what India shied about earlier, has now become such an open approachable trend where everyone wants to go through the maternity phase with a photoshoot, to remember it by,” she says.
This job of capturing precious moments between families and couples is a privilege for Samath. “I see so much love every day between families and couples; this job is an absolute privilege. You walk into the shoot with whatever mood you are in but when you exit these shoots there are endorphins running through you. One, because there is a lot of activity, but second is that you are walking away after being a part of someone’s beautiful journey that you have documented.”
Seeing the popularity of the maternity photoshoot concept, couples are pre-booking slots with photographers. Founder of Little Dimples by Tisha, Preetisha Goswami, says, “My clients pre-book all the time. I realised, after having a baby myself, that it is important to store all these moments and memories, so I understand their eagerness and excitement. My motto as a photographer is to capture and preserve these moments while making them enjoy the experience.”
For Anthony Pratap, the founder of Nevervoid Photography, this trend is not only for those who want to post on social media. He says, “Celebrities have influenced people to follow the trend but not everything is for social media. It works in two different ways. Some want it for social media but there is another kind, those who want to make these memories and keep them very personal to them. But our job is to document the moments that stay with them for long.”
Bengaluru-based Leena Sheth, a mother of two, had a maternity shoot whilst carrying her firstborn. “This trend is a testament to the emotional attachment associated with the fact that your life is going to change. Sometimes, it is also fashion. But personally, I wanted the photoshoot because I wanted to document this emotional and life-changing phase of life. I also believe that, when you show these pictures to your child, later, it builds a sense of attachment and belongingness between the child and the parent,” she adds.