Kate & Luke’s Maternity Shoot at Skidby Mill, East Yorkshire
There’s something really special about photographing that little in-between chapter before a baby arrives. You know everything is about to change, but for a little while longer, it’s still just the two of you.
Kate and Luke chose Skidby Mill for their maternity shoot, and it was such a beautiful setting for it. With the open East Yorkshire countryside, long grasses and that unmistakable windmill in the background, it gave us plenty of space to wander, chat and create photographs that felt relaxed rather than overly posed.
A relaxed maternity shoot near Beverley
One thing I never want a maternity session to feel like is an hour of being told exactly where to put your hands and how to stand.
Most people arrive telling me that they’re awkward in photographs — honestly, almost everyone does! — so my maternity shoots are much more about giving you little prompts, getting you moving and allowing the two of you to interact naturally.
For Kate and Luke, we walked around the grounds at Skidby Mill, stopping wherever the light and surroundings looked beautiful. Some photographs were about Kate and her bump, while others were simply the two of them together, documenting this part of their relationship before their family grows.
And those quieter photographs are often some of my favourites.
Why Skidby Mill is such a gorgeous photography location?
I’m always drawn to locations that feel very East Yorkshire, and Skidby is one of them.
It has that gorgeous combination of countryside and character without needing anything elaborate in the background. The open landscape also gives us plenty of room to make the most of the evening light — especially during those softer, golden hours before sunset.
For maternity photography, it works particularly well because the surroundings don’t overpower the photographs. The focus is still completely on you.
“But I don’t know how to pose…”
You genuinely don’t need to.
You don’t need modelling experience, you don’t need to know your “good side”, and you definitely don’t need to practise poses from Pinterest before you arrive.
That bit is my job.
I’ll guide you when you need it, but I also leave room for the little moments that happen naturally — a laugh, a hand resting on your bump, the way your partner looks at you when you aren’t really paying attention.
Those are usually the photographs that end up meaning the most.
When should you book a maternity photoshoot?
There isn’t one perfect week for everybody, but I generally recommend having your maternity photographs taken when your bump is beautifully visible while you’re still comfortable enough to walk around and enjoy your session.
It’s also worth getting in touch earlier in pregnancy rather than waiting until the last few weeks, particularly if you’d like an evening or weekend date.
And if you’re already thinking ahead to photographs once your baby arrives, I also offer my New Beginnings collection, which combines maternity and newborn photography so that both chapters are documented together.
Maternity photography in Beverley, Hull & East Yorkshire
Kate and Luke’s session is exactly what I love about maternity photography: nothing complicated, nothing overly staged — just two people on the edge of a completely new part of their lives.
One day these photographs won’t just be photographs of Kate’s bump. They’ll be something their child can look back on and see what life looked like while everyone was waiting to meet them.
And I think that’s pretty lovely.
If you’re expecting a baby and would love your own relaxed maternity photoshoot in Beverley, Hull or East Yorkshire, you can find out more about my maternity sessions and get in touch through my website.Kate & Luke’s Maternity Shoot at Skidby Mill, East Yorkshire
