If you're planning a maternity photoshoot in East Yorkshire, one of the first things you might wonder is **where on earth should we actually have it?**
The good news is that you really don't need an elaborate location to create beautiful maternity photographs. Some of my favourite sessions have taken place in quiet fields, little villages and countryside spots that you could easily drive straight past without giving them a second thought.
For me, it's much more about beautiful light, space to move around and somewhere you can relax together.
Here are some of my favourite kinds of locations for maternity photography around East Yorkshire.
## Skidby Mill and the surrounding countryside
Skidby is such a lovely location for maternity photographs, particularly around golden hour.
The open countryside gives us plenty of beautiful evening light, long grasses and big skies, while the mill and surrounding landscape give the photographs a real sense of place.
Kate and Luke's maternity session here was a perfect example of why I love photographing pregnancy outdoors. Rather than lots of formal posing, we could walk, talk and let things unfold naturally, with that gorgeous East Yorkshire countryside around them.
It's especially beautiful during the warmer months when everything becomes soft and golden towards sunset.
## Quiet East Yorkshire villages
Sometimes the best location isn't a well-known beauty spot at all.
Jade and Michael chose **Weel, just outside Beverley**, for their maternity photographs because Jade grew up there. That meant the location wasn't simply pretty — it actually meant something to them.
I absolutely love that.
If there's a village, field, footpath or bit of countryside that's part of your story, tell me. Your maternity session doesn't have to look like anybody else's.
Choosing somewhere personal can make the photographs feel even more special years later.
## Hotham and North Cave
The countryside around Hotham and North Cave is another area I love photographing families and couples in.
There are beautiful rural backdrops without the feeling of being somewhere overly busy or public, which is particularly lovely if you're slightly nervous about having your photograph taken.
And honestly, most people tell me they're nervous!
You don't need to know how to pose or what to do with your hands. I'll gently guide you when you need it, but I'm much more interested in the little interactions between you — walking together, laughing, holding your bump and taking a moment to realise that very soon, everything is going to change.
## Somewhere that means something to you
You don't have to choose one of *my* locations.
Some of the loveliest sessions come from clients saying, *“There's this little place we love…”*
It could be somewhere you walk the dog, the village where you grew up, a field near home or somewhere you've spent lots of time together.
If it's suitable for a photoshoot, I'm always happy to explore somewhere new.
## What makes a good maternity photography location?
I'm usually looking for a few simple things: beautiful natural light, enough space for us to move around, an uncluttered backdrop and somewhere you can feel comfortable.
And the time of day makes an enormous difference.
I particularly love photographing maternity sessions during **golden hour**, when the sun is lower and the light becomes much softer and warmer. It's what gives so much of my outdoor work that dreamy, golden feel.
So if I suggest a slightly later session time than you expected, there's a reason!
## Your maternity photos don't need to feel awkward
Wherever we choose, my maternity sessions aren't about standing perfectly still and smiling at the camera for an hour.
We'll move.
We'll walk.
You'll cuddle into each other, have a laugh and probably tell me at some point that you have absolutely no idea what you're doing.
That's completely normal.
My job is to make sure you don't *need* to know what you're doing.
The result is a gallery that feels warm, relaxed and like the two of you at this strange, exciting little point in your lives before your baby arrives.
## Maternity Photography in East Yorkshire
I photograph maternity sessions across **East Yorkshire, including Hessle, Hull, Beverley and the surrounding villages**, with a relaxed, natural approach and a particular love for outdoor golden-hour sessions.
If you're expecting a baby and would like photographs of this chapter before everything changes, you can find out more about my **maternity photography in East Yorkshire** here.
I'd love to hear a little about you, when you're due and whether you already have somewhere meaningful in mind — or you can leave the location completely up to me.
