I Didn’t Get Maternity Photography Until I Looked Back
I didn’t fully get maternity photography until I went through it myself.
At the time, it just felt like another thing to organise.
You’re thinking about appointments, names, getting the house ready — not photos.
But looking back now, it’s one of the few things from that period I actually return to.
Not because of how they look, but because of what they bring back.
Sarah at Bondi Beach (kiddie pool)
A Personal Note
I’m not just photographing this from the outside.
I’ve lived it.
I’m a dad and I remember that time clearly.
How quickly it all moved.
How much was changing, even when it felt slow in the moment.
At the time, you don’t fully realise what you’re in.
It’s only later when you look back that it hits you.
I still come back to the photos I took during that time - some in the ocean at places like Gordon's Bay and Bondi Beach.
And every time I come across them, I stop for a second and think…
I’m so glad we captured that.
Part of it is what was happening in life at the time.
But part of it is also where they were taken.
Those places meant something to me.
They weren’t random locations. They were part of my world. Places I knew, places I had a connection to.
And I think that’s why the photos still feel the way they do now.
Because they’re tied to something real.
Even though we’re no longer together, we’re great as co-parents, and when I look at those photos now, it reminds me of the journey we went on.
What we created. What we went through. And why that time still matters.
Life moves on.
But that chapter, that exact moment, doesn’t come back.
Sarah at Bondi Beach
Where This Carries Through My Work
That experience changed the way I approach maternity photography.
I’m based in Manly Beach now, and I shoot across the Northern Beaches including spots like Shelly Beach and Cabbage Tree Bay, as well as Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs like Bondi, Bronte and Clovelly.
Most of the work is built around the ocean, including underwater maternity photography, but it’s not really about the format.
It’s about the connection to the place.
Some people feel that in the water.
Some on the coastline.
Some in a specific spot that means something to them.
That’s where I like to shoot.
Because that’s where people are more themselves.
More relaxed. Less in their head.
Nothing feels forced — and you see it in the images.
Ocean / Underwater
A lot of my maternity photography in Manly and across Sydney happens in the water.
That can be the ocean or a heated pool, which is often the more comfortable option, especially later in pregnancy.
Either way, being in the water changes everything.
Movement slows down. Light softens. There’s a natural flow that’s hard to recreate anywhere else.
It doesn’t feel posed.
Land
On land, it’s usually coastal.
Northern Beaches, Manly, or wherever feels right for the customer.
Nothing overcomplicated. Just space, great light, and being in the environment.
From above with my drone, you see it differently again.
More context. More scale. It ties everything together.
Timing
Most of the time, this happens around 30–39 weeks.
That tends to be the window where everything works.
Sarah at Gordon’s Bay
The Point of It
For me, it comes back to something pretty simple.
These photos aren’t just about documenting what’s happening.
They’re about holding onto a moment in a place that actually means something to you.
Because later on, that’s what you feel when you look back.
Not just how it looked. But where you were. Who you were. And what that time meant.
Sarah at Gordon’s Bay around 35 weeks pregnant
If You’re Thinking About It
If you’re considering maternity photography in Manly, the Northern Beaches, or Sydney, it’s worth doing it somewhere that feels like you.
Whether that’s in the ocean, on the coast, or somewhere more personal.
That’s where it comes together.
Our son just after he arrived
