The Art of Pregnancy Photography by Jennifer George

community. From attending civic organization meetings, to taking on a speaking engagement for a local organization, to holding your own gallery show or “mother’s tea” for young women with small children, to displaying at the local county fair, to writing articles on the beauty of pregnancy portraits for the local parents’ newsletter or community newspaper, to being a sponsor on public television’s annual auction where a buyer can donate a set amount to the PBS station and have a sitting with you, to giving away a free sitting and an 8x10-inch portrait through raffles conducted by the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, or mothers’ clubs—there’s no end to the public appearances you can make to reach potential clients. As politicians know, you must meet and mingle, see and be seen in a wide array of community events to gain recognition and win the public’s interest.
    GENERATING YOUR OWN BUZZ
    The parenting and child-oriented newspapers, little neighborhood newspapers (mostly weeklies), and the family sections of local newspapers are always looking for new stories. Consider scheduling a meeting with the editor of one of these publications, and tell them about the growing trend of women having their pregnancies recorded and showcased in family portrait albums. Many editors and reporters will be surprised and pleased to interview you, and when your story appears in print, you will be viewed as the local expert on pregnancy portraiture.

    Expressive images not only tell a story, they also make great marketing pieces.
    SALES
    Many people believe that capturing images is the most important part of their business. Of course, a photographer cannot stay in business unless they sell their images!
    There are many proofing options available to photographers and their clients today. We’ve found that projection works best for our studio. Because we cater to higher-end clients, we often have the option to allow our clients to preview their images on their large-screen televisions in their own home theaters. This seems to produce better sales than do in-studio presentation sessions, as we can recommend particular portraits in larger sizes for display in specific areas of the home (with a quality frame, of course) or particular specialty products.
    We first run through a slide show of the images, set to royalty-free music, to really create an emotional response from the viewer. Then the images are presented one by one or in small groups so the client can select her favorites and place her order. We also recommend several add-on items, including frames, albums, and image boxes, jewelry, and purses. ( Note: If you must, you can send the DVD home with your clients to give them some time to think about their order. However, this can discourage sales. If you do send the DVD home, get a large, nonrefundable deposit, and tell the client that the amount will be applied toward the price of their product order when they come into the studio to place their order.)
    You can also add the DVD slide show to your product line (again, you must be sure to use royalty-free music) and offer it for sale, or offer it as a gift with purchase if your client’s order reaches a specific dollar amount.

    Projecting your images assures the biggest possible sales. Putting the images to music and showing them large creates and emotional appeal for your clients. Kim Treffinger’s presentation room (below) is decorated with samples of her work, and products are displayed for clients to see and touch. The rich colors used in the room create help to create a luxurious, affluent feel. Presentation room photo courstesy of Kim Treffinger, www.treffingerstudio.com .

10. PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES
    I n this chapter, we’ll take a look at some of the ways portrait photographers at the top of their field approach pregnancy portraiture. You’ll find that many of the photographers profiled here have similar viewpoints; however, you’ll also gain an appreciation for