How to Create a DIY Maternity Milk Bath Session

For as long as I can remember, photography has always been a passion of mine.  I remember setting up “photo shoots” of my cousin when I was 12 years old, snapping photos of her using a disposable camera.  Those were certainly fun times for me!

These days I practice shooting my own kids, and pretty much anyone else who is willing to be my muse.  Last week, it was my sister who happens to be 9 months pregnant.  After browsing Pinterest for ideas, we came across the most beautiful maternity milk bath photos and I knew I just had to give it a shot.  The results were beyond my expectations and now I’m hooked on doing milk bath sessions!

From the moment that I posted the sneak peak in my Instagram stories I was getting messages asking for tips on how they could create this type of session themselves.  I’m not a professional photographer by any means, but here are a few tips that I learned by trial and error while shooting this session with my sister.

LIGHTING

I shot at two different locations and definitely favored the photos where there was huge window next to the tub.  It provided a ton of gorgeous, natural lighting.  If you do not have a window near your tub,  I have read that using a softbox is helpful.

PREPARING THE BATH

It is important that you do not start the bath water until your model is ready to get in.  You want to make sure that the water temperature stays comfortable for mom!  I’d also advise against using hot water mixed with the milk to avoid curdling.   Once you find a comfortable temperature, fill the bath about halfway and then add an entire gallon of whole milk for the look you see above.  I have read that using powdered milk or powdered coffee creamer works well too – some people even add it to their milk for a creamier look.

FLORAL DECOR

Once you choose your color scheme, shop for your flowers (I recommend Costco for an unbeatable price).  We used a combination of both fresh flowers and synthetic greens that I picked up from my local Michaels store.  I also bought a few silk flowers, unfortunately those just sank to the bottom of the bath!  Doing a little research, I found that you can scotch guard your flowers (at least a day in advance of your shoot) to avoid the sinkage.

Cut your fresh flowers about a half an inch to an inch under the bud.  I recommend placing the flowers in the bath once your model is already in – getting the flowers to stay in place is pretty tricky – even with the slightest movement – so you’ll need to make sure your model stays as still as possible so you can get your shot.

LACE GOWN

Can you believe my sister picked up this gown off Amazon for under $20?!  It worked out perfectly for our session!  I’ve linked it below with a few others that I believe would work out just as well for this type of photo shoot.

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I did get a couple questions about my equipment as well.  I am a Canon girl and have been shooting with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III  for the last few years now.  I shot all of these photos with the Sigma 35mm F1.4 ART Lens , which happens to be my favorite lens these days!

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