Maternity photographers are going bigger and bolder with their photo shoot concepts than ever before. These talented artists create breathtaking memories for moms-to-be. The images are wonderful reminders of the beauty and grace of the expectant body.
One photographer, Vanessa Firme, puts an extra-magical spin on her shoots. You might call her the fairy godmother of maternity photography, in fact. She takes expectant moms and turns them into their favorite Disney princesses. The mom of two believes that the beautiful fairy-tale scenes allow these moms to feel extra special.
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Vanessa's work with pregnant women isn't limited to these shoots, of course. The self-taught maternity photographer has an incredibly diverse body of work. She has transformed pregnant women into all sorts of striking characters, including Wonder Woman and Elvira.
As if the princess photos aren't perfect enough, Vanessa has also continued the trend in infant photo shoots. Some of the same moms have come back to re-create the moments, this time with their babies in tow.
This story first appeared on LittleThings in February, 2020.
Maternity photography has become a booming business. Moms are becoming more confident in celebrating their bodies as they perform their most incredible feat. There are all varieties of stunning, godless-like shots of moms-to-be.
One Portuguese photographer has taken these shoots to an even more stunning level. Vanessa Firme is a self-taught photographer and mother of two. In true fairy godmother-like fashion, she transforms pregnant women into Disney princesses.
"These photos tell mothers that they can all be whoever they want to be," Vanessa said to Good Morning America. "It shows what happens after happily ever after."
While Vanessa had done some fairy-tale-style shoots with children before, the idea for pregnant women didn't come until she received a request.
One of Vanessa's clients wanted to do something special for her daughter, who would be named Bela.
"I thought how magical it would be for her when she saw her own mother dressed as the princess," Vanessa explained. "People loved it and we decided to make more princesses."
The resulting photos are nothing short of breathtaking. These beautiful women look completely stunning as they take on fairy-tale characters. The photos have amassed thousands of likes and shares online as more women are inspired to do similar shoots.
It's also kind of fascinating to think of what pregnancy would look like in a fairy-tale setting. Pregnant characters don't appear in fairy tales outside of flashbacks. We have gotten to see some of Disney's princesses as moms, but never in this way.
Vanessa doesn't limit her shoots to only Disney princesses. She's also got some room for the villainous side. One expectant mom opted for a Maleficent photo shoot that turned out so fierce it would put Angelina Jolie herself to shame.
There are also characters outside of Disney. A number of expectant moms decided to channel some serious girl power into dynamic Wonder Woman shoots. The DC heroine never looked quite as strong as she does with a beautiful bump.
It's fun to see how much some of these moms-to-be get into character. One mom, who dressed up as Fiona from Shrek, looks like she had a blast during her shoot. She totally nails funny facial expressions that make the photo that much more marvelous.
More recently, Vanessa has tried some movie-concept shoots. It's amusing to see the moms take on a variety of characters. She's re-created movie covers for a number of films, including Flashdance, Sex and the City, Tomb Raider, and Pretty Woman.
Aside from maternity shoots, a few moms have shown interest in the fairy-tale shoots after giving birth. There have been a number of infant shoots where moms get into their favorite fictional settings with their little ones. The photos are just as fantastic and magical.
Vanessa has a special eye for capturing pregnant women at their most flawless. Whether in character or simply dressed to impress, there's not one photo that doesn't show off the true beauty of the pregnant form. The photos must be incredibly special for the lucky ladies who get to have them as memories forever.
