Bronwyn Pickering isn’t drawn to ordinary or overused locations. Her style thrives on originality and artistry, and she’s fortunate to call Mildura home, a rural town nestled in Australia’s Sunraysia region. This area is bathed in rich, golden sunlight with orange-toned earth, dusty tracks, and warm natural hues. These elements make for a landscape that feels as magical as it looks, and they fuel Bronwyn’s creativity with every shoot she plans.
With such a backdrop readily available, it’s no wonder she avoids the predictable. Instead of the usual, she actively seeks out the unique. Her vision is consistently bold and full of texture, which is what makes her stand out. She’s recognized for framing images with artistic flair, capturing movement in a meaningful way, and utilizing natural light in ways that make even the most basic settings seem enchanted.
Her talent goes beyond technical ability—she knows how to evoke emotion and build a narrative. Bronwyn’s preference for unexpected locations makes her work feel fresh, intimate, and deeply rooted in storytelling. That’s exactly why she was the perfect photographer to demonstrate how maternity photography can go from lovely to breathtaking.
What to Look For in a Maternity Photo Location
Choosing a location is where the creative process begins. Bronwyn looks for open areas filled with natural light and expansive skies. Bushland that offers earthy textures and tones makes for an ideal setting. Locations that allow a sunset to spill golden hues into the shot add emotional warmth and visual richness. Interesting architectural elements, pops of color, unusual textures, and natural landscapes are all ingredients she considers.
At the same time, she avoids anything that might visually interrupt the scene—fences, power lines, clutter, or unflattering structures have no place in her images. If a location is privately owned, she ensures permission is obtained beforehand. Even if the location is publicly owned, some areas require formal consent or payment, especially in places that charge admission to the public. Respect for property and the rules surrounding photography is an important part of the preparation.
In one striking example, she chose a dilapidated house surrounded by an overgrown garden. Its textured walls, weathered windows, and raw, neglected beauty served as a stark contrast to the glow and vitality of a soon-to-be mother. This contrast between new life and crumbling history formed the emotional core of the session, highlighting themes of past and future, strength and softness.
Embracing Natural Light
Light is one of the most powerful tools in photography, and Bronwyn understands how to use it with intention. When entering a space, she observes how light flows through windows and doors, paying close attention to highlights and shadows. Instead of trying to balance or erase shadows, she embraces them. She lets them deepen the mood of her images, giving them atmosphere and a sense of authenticity.
By placing her subject near the best light source—usually windows or open doorways—and angling it correctly, she ensures there’s enough variation between light and dark to create depth. She exposes the highlights and lets the shadows tell their part of the story. This approach adds drama and elegance, giving her photos a three-dimensional feel that draws the viewer in.
When appropriate, she also uses backlighting. This technique produces an ethereal glow, wrapping her subjects in light and adding a dreamy quality to the image. Whether she’s using side lighting to bring out textures or backlighting to soften and glow, she adapts her exposure to suit the emotion of the moment.
Posing and Prompting with Emotion
Bronwyn believes in creating connection, not just between the camera and subject, but between the people in the frame. In maternity sessions, she encourages couples to stay physically close, to touch, hold hands, cradle the baby bump, and interact as they naturally would when no one is watching.
Classic poses such as standing belly to belly, hugging from behind, forehead kisses, and walking together offer a great base. From there, she layers on prompts designed to evoke emotion. Asking the partner to whisper sweet things or even something silly, like what they had for breakfast, in a flirtatious tone can break tension and bring out genuine smiles. Telling the expectant mother to imagine holding her baby for the first time invites a raw, emotional response that shines through in photos.
By weaving these prompts with natural movement, she keeps the energy flowing. Walking slowly, dancing gently, brushing hair from her face, or placing hands on the baby bump are all subtle cues that contribute to the emotional texture of each frame. These are not just poses—they are interactions that translate into authentic, story-rich photographs.
Framing is one of the most overlooked yet impactful elements of photographic composition. Bronwyn excels at this, using thoughtful and natural frames to enhance emotion and visual interest. She approaches each session with an eye for more than just the subject—she actively looks for environmental features that can serve as natural frames. Doorways, windows, arches, tree branches, or even tall grass can be used to subtly frame the subject, creating depth and directing the viewer’s eye.
In one example, after capturing images indoors, Bronwyn stepped outside and used the window frame to shoot inward, allowing the rustic structure to surround the expectant couple. This technique created a feeling of intimacy and solitude, as though the viewer had stumbled upon a private, tender moment.
Another way she frames creatively is by shooting from behind objects. Whether it’s a doorway, foliage, or a textured wall, the object in the foreground becomes a soft blur that envelops the subjects, making the moment feel more layered and cinematic. This technique helps produce a voyeuristic effect, where the audience feels like a quiet observer of an emotional exchange.
She also plays with different angles and distances. While a wide shot can establish the environment and give context to the story, moving in closer changes the emotional tone. For example, Bronwyn will often take a close-up of hands cradling the baby bump or a forehead kiss, allowing emotion to take center stage. This variation in framing gives richness to a single shot, offering multiple perspectives on the same moment.
Close-up shots are also useful for highlighting details: a subtle smile, a teardrop, fingers intertwined. These small moments speak volumes and create a balance between storytelling and visual artistry. By capturing a mix of wide, medium, and tight shots from various angles, Bronwyn ensures that each gallery feels complete and compelling.
Texture and Environment in Photo Storytelling
What sets Bronwyn’s work apart is her attention to texture and environment. She sees each location as more than just a setting—it’s a partner in the story. Texture brings photographs to life, especially in maternity photography, where the softness of human touch contrasts beautifully with rough walls, peeling paint, or sun-drenched fields.
In one shot, the decaying wooden panels of an abandoned building provided a sense of time and history, while the overgrown vegetation suggested nature reclaiming its space. When paired with a radiant mother-to-be, the contrast created an evocative visual metaphor. The tactile difference between skin and stone, fabric and foliage, helps the story unfold in layers.
Bronwyn also uses movement to complement texture. Flowing fabric caught in a breeze, a hand brushing across a crumbling surface, or the couple walking slowly through tall grass—all of these actions engage with the surrounding elements. The resulting images feel dynamic rather than posed, like a scene captured in real time.
Color plays a big role in this textural storytelling. Bronwyn often gravitates toward earthy palettes—rich browns, sunbaked reds, and muted greens that harmonize with skin tones and golden hour light. These tones ground the image emotionally, making it feel organic and timeless. By selecting wardrobe pieces that complement the environment, she creates cohesion between subject and setting.
Another technique she uses is to photograph reflections or distortions. A puddle of water, an antique mirror, or even a glass pane can be used to create a unique visual twist that pulls the viewer in. These reflections are more than just stylistic flourishes—they echo themes of anticipation and transformation, perfect for the maternity genre.
Embracing Imperfection and Mood
Bronwyn understands that real moments often lie in the unplanned and imperfect. She doesn’t strive for perfection in the traditional sense—posed, polished, and precise. Instead, she allows moments to unfold naturally and embraces any unexpected elements that might arise.
A gust of wind lifting a strand of hair, a sudden laugh, a spontaneous kiss—these are the kinds of moments that make photos feel alive. She never stops shooting during these in-between moments. Often, they’re the most genuine, filled with the joy and complexity of a growing family.
In a session conducted in a weathered farmhouse, for instance, the floorboards creaked and light filtered unevenly through broken windowpanes. Instead of correcting or hiding these elements, Bronwyn highlighted them. The quirks of the space added depth and realism to the shoot. She allowed shadows to fall naturally, resisted over-editing, and left room for mood and mystery.
She also leans into the emotional tone of her subjects. If the couple is naturally quiet and reflective, she doesn’t force big smiles or exaggerated poses. Instead, she crafts the session around their mood, using soft light, gentle prompts, and stillness. If her clients are playful and expressive, she encourages laughter, movement, and open-body language.
This flexible, responsive style not only makes her clients feel seen and valued but also results in photos that are true to them. Bronwyn’s sessions are never one-size-fits-all. Each shoot is a collaboration that unfolds based on the personalities, surroundings, and atmosphere of the day.
Working with Golden Hour Light
Timing is everything in photography, and Bronwyn always schedules her sessions during golden hour—the hour or two just before sunset when the light is soft, warm, and flattering. This type of light wraps gently around the subjects, creating luminous skin tones, glowing highlights, and subtle shadows. It’s especially well-suited for maternity shoots, where the goal is often to capture warmth, intimacy, and emotion.
In a typical session, she begins around 4:30 PM and wraps up just after the sun sets, around 6:00 PM. This window gives her flexibility to explore multiple locations and lighting scenarios, from sun-drenched fields to shaded interiors to silhouettes against the sky.
She begins the shoot with more structured poses while the sun is higher. As the light softens and the environment becomes more relaxed, she transitions to looser, more candid shots. Toward the end of the session, she often captures a silhouette, framing her subjects against the last burst of color in the sky. These silhouette shots are powerful in their simplicity, highlighting shape and emotion without the distraction of detail.
Bronwyn is careful to position her subjects relative to the sun for different effects. She’ll often place them with the sun behind them for soft backlighting. This creates a halo-like effect around hair and clothing, especially effective when the subject wears flowing fabrics or sheer textures. Alternatively, she’ll position them sideways to the light to create gentle contrast on the face and body.
She adjusts her camera settings carefully during this time. As the light changes, she balances her exposure using manual mode, maintaining control over aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Her preferred lens for maternity shoots is a 35mm f/1.4, and she often shoots wide open at f/1.8 to create shallow depth of field and creamy backgrounds. However, she always advises that beginners start at f/2.8 or higher if they’re not confident with focusing yet, as the margin for error at f/1.8 is very small.
Capturing Connection Through Posing and Prompts
The emotional heart of maternity photography lies in the connection between the expectant mother and her unborn child, between couples, and between the subject and the viewer. Bronwyn crafts this connection through a balance of thoughtful posing and natural prompting. Her goal isn’t perfection in posture but sincerity in feeling.
She encourages couples to maintain physical closeness throughout the session. Holding hands, gently touching the baby bump, or standing heart-to-heart are all simple but deeply emotional gestures. These kinds of touches are familiar to couples, making them feel at ease and helping their personalities emerge naturally on camera.
For example, a classic pose might include the partner standing behind the mother-to-be, their hands layered over her belly. Bronwyn gently prompts her to lean back and rest her head on their shoulder while the partner kisses her temple. This creates an intimate moment of shared anticipation, beautifully reflecting their bond.
Other poses might include sitting together on a blanket, lying side by side in the grass, walking slowly toward the setting sun, or standing face-to-face while exchanging soft glances. The movement keeps the energy flowing and gives space for natural moments to arise. These are not rigid instructions but invitations to be present and connected.
Prompts play an essential role. A pose becomes meaningful when it’s paired with a question or a suggestion that draws out genuine emotion. Bronwyn might ask the mother to imagine meeting her baby for the first time or prompt the partner to whisper three things they’re most excited about. These gentle nudges shift focus away from the camera and toward each other.
Lighthearted prompts can also work wonders. Telling the partner to use their most romantic voice to describe what they had for breakfast might sound silly, but it often results in laughter and relaxed shoulders. Moments like these loosen tension and result in images that feel joyful and unforced.
Bronwyn’s prompts vary based on the couple’s energy. For quiet couples, she keeps it soft and reflective. For playful ones, she might encourage gentle dancing, slow twirls, or mock-serious expressions. Her versatility in adapting to different personalities is key to the emotional range of her images.
Layering Emotion with Body Language
Beyond facial expressions, body language plays a powerful role in storytelling. Bronwyn pays close attention to how the subjects’ bodies relate to each other. Are they leaning in or pulling back? Are their bodies relaxed or stiff? These physical cues communicate comfort, connection, and vulnerability.
She often begins by asking her clients to take a deep breath, close their eyes, and simply feel their bodies. This moment of stillness centers them and breaks the nervous energy that can come from being photographed. From there, she encourages gentle, intentional movements—brushing hair away, placing hands slowly, turning their faces slightly.
These subtle adjustments create visual harmony. For example, if a couple is standing close but looking in opposite directions, she might gently redirect their gaze toward each other or encourage one to tuck the other’s hair behind their ear. These small gestures bring warmth and cohesion to the image.
Hands are especially expressive. Whether they are cradling a baby bump, intertwined with a partner’s fingers, or placed over the heart, hands help tell the emotional story. Bronwyn often zooms in on hands to emphasize love, anticipation, and tenderness. By showing these close-up details, she adds intimacy and focus to the larger narrative.
Feet also matter. A slight shift in footing can change the balance of a pose. Barefoot shots, for example, can add a sense of vulnerability and connection to the earth. Standing on tiptoes for a kiss, or pointing a foot forward while walking, all bring motion and intention into the frame.
Posture is another element Bronwyn guides with care. While she encourages a relaxed stance, she may suggest opening the shoulders, lengthening the neck, or lifting the chin slightly for better alignment and light catch. These gentle refinements improve the visual impact of the shot without stiffening the subjects.
Using the Surroundings to Inspire Creativity
Every environment offers unique cues that can inspire poses, compositions, and stories. Bronwyn walks into each location with an open mind, observing not only the light but also the textures, colors, and potential interactions her subjects can have with the space.
In a rustic, weathered barn, for instance, she may invite her subject to lean against a wooden beam or sit on a fallen log. The gritty texture contrasts beautifully with soft maternity clothing and smooth skin. She may ask them to look out through a broken window, using the frame as both a visual and emotional device, symbolizing a view toward the future.
In a wide, open field, she might encourage walking barefoot in the tall grass or sitting beneath a tree. These natural elements invite relaxation and stillness. She’ll suggest the mother-to-be gently touch the grass or lift her dress slightly as she walks, letting the fabric flow with the breeze.
When shooting near water, she often incorporates reflections and subtle movement. Walking along the edge of a creek, letting fingers trail in the water, or watching the ripples mirror the sky—all of these add serenity and symbolism to the session. Water is often associated with new life and renewal, making it a fitting companion for maternity imagery.
Architecture can also serve as a creative partner. In urban or historical settings, stairways, textured walls, or doorways become structural elements that add rhythm and balance. Bronwyn uses these to frame her subjects, lead the viewer’s eye, or add a sense of scale.
No matter the location, she finds ways to integrate her subjects into the environment rather than simply placing them against it. This creates a sense of belonging and emotional alignment between the people and the place.
Exploring Narrative and Symbolism
Every maternity session carries a story. Bronwyn taps into the narrative by weaving symbolic gestures, subtle metaphors, and layers of meaning into her work. Her sessions are not just visual—they are experiential. They reflect hope, transition, and the intimate promise of new life.
One of her signature techniques is to use light as a symbol. Morning light represents beginnings, while golden hour light speaks of fulfillment and warmth. Shadows can represent mystery or the unknown. In each case, light helps guide the emotional tone of the photo.
Clothing and styling can also carry symbolic weight. Flowing dresses suggest movement and femininity, while tighter garments emphasize the beauty of the growing form. Accessories such as floral crowns, scarves, or meaningful jewelry can personalize the story. Bronwyn encourages her clients to bring items that hold significance—a baby onesie, ultrasound photo, or heirloom—to incorporate into the session.
Color choice is another subtle narrative tool. Soft whites and creams convey peace and simplicity. Earth tones evoke grounding and nature. Pops of color can express personality or emotion. Bronwyn’s styling advice always aligns with the setting and mood, creating cohesion across the gallery.
Movement is equally expressive. Walking toward the sun symbolizes moving into the future. Turning back for one last glance adds a reflective note. Sitting quietly can express rest and surrender. Each action, however minor, contributes to the larger theme of transformation and growth.
Bronwyn also sometimes includes environmental storytelling—capturing wide shots of the landscape with her subjects in the distance. These images evoke solitude, wonder, and the vastness of change. They remind the viewer that this moment, though deeply personal, is also part of something larger and timeless.
Technical Approach and Camera Settings for Artistic Maternity Sessions
While creativity and emotion are at the heart of Bronwyn’s work, her technical approach provides the foundation that brings it all to life. Her choice of gear, camera settings, and control over light and exposure all contribute to the final aesthetic of her images.
For this maternity session, Bronwyn used a Canon 5D Mark IV paired with a 35mm f/1.4 lens. This combination gives her versatility in tight spaces, allows for environmental context in wide shots, and helps capture rich, creamy backgrounds with shallow depth of field. The 35mm lens is a favorite for storytelling because it creates a sense of presence without distortion and allows her to work closely with her subjects, maintaining intimacy in every frame.
She shoots nearly everything at f/1.8, which adds softness and beautiful background blur. However, this shallow depth of field demands precision. Focus must be spot-on, especially when photographing two people at once. Bronwyn achieves this by taking her time, ensuring her focus point is aligned with her subject’s eyes or key features, and reviewing images frequently during the session.
Her shutter speed and ISO are constantly adjusted to match the changing light. During golden hour, she often begins with lower ISO and faster shutter speeds, then slowly increases ISO as the light fades. This ensures she captures all the natural light's nuances without sacrificing detail or creating noise.
When shooting backlit portraits, she meters for the highlights, allowing shadows to fall off naturally. This method preserves the mood of the scene and creates drama, especially when her subjects are surrounded by glowing light. She avoids overexposing skies or washing out background detail, allowing every element to retain its integrity.
White balance is another important tool she uses to set the tone. While many photographers shoot in auto white balance, Bronwyn prefers custom white balance to maintain warmth in sunset light or adjust for cooler tones when indoors. Post-processing is minimal and natural, focused more on contrast and exposure tweaks than heavy editing. Her aim is always to reflect the authenticity of the moment.
She encourages newer photographers not to feel pressured to shoot wide open right away. Starting at f/2.8 to f/3.5 can still yield beautiful results while offering a greater margin for focusing errors. As confidence grows, gradually experimenting with wider apertures can open new creative possibilities.
Maximizing Variety Within a Single Session
One of Bronwyn’s strengths is how she creates variety within a single session without overwhelming her subjects. She structures her shoots around transitions—starting with familiar or simple poses, then slowly moving into more emotional, creative, or experimental territory as trust builds.
Within each location, she captures a range of framings: wide landscapes to set the scene, mid-shots to show interaction, and close-ups for emotional detail. Even a single pose can yield multiple images by shifting her position, focal length, or angle. For example, a couple standing in front of a textured wall might be photographed from a side angle for a silhouette, a close-up of hands for intimacy, and a wide shot for context—all from the same setup.
She uses simple tricks to generate variety without overcomplicating the process. Changing the subject’s orientation relative to the light, adjusting their body angle, or encouraging movement like twirling or walking adds dynamic range. If she’s shooting in a rural location, she might begin inside a building, then move outdoors for portraits against the structure, and end in a nearby field at sunset.
Props, if used, are kept minimal and meaningful—perhaps a piece of fabric, a flower, or a family heirloom. These elements serve to enhance, not distract, and provide an extra storytelling layer when needed. Even without props, clothing and styling choices offer visual diversity. Long dresses, textured wraps, or bare feet can each add something distinct.
Sessions that begin reserved and slow often end in laughter and spontaneity. Bronwyn plans for this arc, leaving the most expressive, joyful shots for the end when her subjects are relaxed and fully immersed in the experience. This natural emotional progression allows her to capture a full spectrum of feelings—from quiet anticipation to overflowing excitement.
By varying light, pose, angle, environment, and emotion, she ensures her final gallery is cohesive yet rich in depth. Clients walk away with images that reflect not only their appearance, but also their journey, love, and anticipation of what’s to come.
Conclusion:
Bronwyn Pickering’s approach to maternity photography is rooted in authenticity, artistry, and connection. She doesn’t rely on trendy backdrops or studio setups. Instead, she seeks out character-filled locations, embraces natural light, and leans into real emotion. Her sessions are deeply personal, reflecting the individuality of each client and the unique story they’re living.
Through creative framing, intentional posing, and emotional prompts, she brings out the beauty in simplicity. Her attention to detail—whether in the crumbling paint of an old wall or the soft brush of light on a cheek—adds layers of meaning to every frame. She captures not just what her subjects look like, but who they are and how they feel in this fleeting, powerful chapter of life.
Her technical skills support this vision, allowing her to shoot confidently in a wide range of conditions while staying present and responsive to the moment. She understands that the best photographs are born not from control, but from trust, collaboration, and the willingness to see things differently.
For anyone wanting to elevate their maternity photography, the message is clear: look beyond the obvious. Seek out locations that speak to you, allow light and texture to guide your storytelling, and build an environment where your subjects can feel seen and safe. Remember that emotion always trumps perfection. A real laugh, a quiet tear, a gentle touch—these are the moments that matter.
By drawing inspiration from Bronwyn’s thoughtful methods, you can transform your maternity sessions into unforgettable visual stories. Whether you’re photographing a friend, a client, or your own growing family, approach each session with heart, curiosity, and the courage to create something uniquely meaningful.