Choosing Indoor Studio or Outdoor Location in Pittsburgh for Maternity Photos

You’re expecting your first child, and you know you want to capture this special time. Or, you’re pregnant with your second or third child (or more!) and you want to do something different for your maternity photos this time around. Deciding between having your maternity session take place at the indoor studio or outdoor location in Pittsburgh can be a tough choice!

Before you even choose a location, you’ll want to reach out and check availability. This is best done in your second trimester. This will give us time to decide on location, prep and make changes if we need to once it gets closer. With my first-time moms, you may not really show until later in the third trimester. Staying in touch as it gets closer to the date will be super important.

When it comes to location, sometimes you just know what you want. If you’re an outdoorsy couple or you absolutely LOVE a good sunset, then an outdoor session is the perfect option for you. If you have a meaningful location or a place you visit all the time, that would also be a reason to go for outdoors!

Wanting to show off more of your baby bump? Would love to wear multiple outfits? Then the studio would work great. With more privacy and a controlled temperature, you’ll feel confident and relaxed. No need to worry about the weather being overcast or rainy (because this is Pittsburgh after all). And maybe the studio in Bridgeville is super close and convenient! If you’re having issues with swelling or aren’t able to (or aren’t supposed to) move around much, then having the session in one place is going to be so much easier for you.

You’ll see lots of examples below for either case!

Indoor Studio Sessions

During a studio maternity session, we try to use 3-4 backdrops, and you can change multiple times. I have plenty of options in the client closet, but one of my favorites is when clients bring their own jeans and white shirts for this cute and casual vibe.

Choosing an indoor session can also give you more of a fine art look if that’s what you want to go for. Think classy, clean and gorgeous.

This black bodysuit is part of the client closet and a favorite!

I don’t always offer dress sweeps. If you bring a dress that has a long flowy train, then we will definitely try! But we also need either your partner or a helper to come along so they can toss the dress.

A lot of the dresses in the client closet are from Reclamation. They are perfect if you want a boho feel or something a little more elegant. These dresses are expensive (and so worth it), but that means some are for in-studio use only.

Outdoor Locations in Pittsburgh

Robin Hill Park in Coraopolis is one of my favorite spots for an outdoor maternity location. With so many photo spots, you can’t go wrong here. The park offers this gorgeous white gazebo, a pergola and flower garden, and a mansion with arches. A the end of summer, it even has a wildflower field.

Mellon Park has many spots, too. If you live closer to the city, this spot works great for summer maternity sessions. There are brick walls, stone steps, iron gates, flowers and a huge founatin.

Fairview Park in Bridgeville is my secret little gem. A small hill is necessary to walk up to this gorgeous backdrop, but it’s 1000 times worth it for the sunset. This mama is wearing another Reclamation dress that just pops against the summer green.

If you’re looking for a field, Mingo Creek in Finleyville has a few options by the conservatory. Bringing your other littles and capturing some family photos at the same time makes the session so much fun!

Hartwood Acres Mansion looks amazing any time of the year. But during the fall, the colors are stunning. And this mama’s green velvet dress was the perfect compliment to the backdrop and her beautiful red hair.

Another cute session during the spring at Robin Hill Park.

And one last family maternity session at Fairview Park. This rust dress is a popular choice for fall outdoor maternity sessions.

Hopefully that helps sway you one way or the other! If you still can’t decide, we can schedule a phone call to have a more in-depth convo about whether an indoor studio or outdoor location will work best for you.

Don’t hesitate to contact me here so we can start planning your maternity session!

Most clients schedule their newborn at the same time as their maternity session since I am usually running a deal for booking both. Check here for my newborn pricing and info. You can see my latest studio newborn session on the blog, too.

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