How celebrity photographer Amrita Samant is tweaking conventional maternity photography

Pregnancy is usually a time of life-altering changes as well as joy and celebration. A lot of societal restrictions, cultural superstitions and pre-conceived notions however continue to cloud what is supposed to be a joyful experience. A new generation of expectant, young mothers is slowly changing this narrative around pregnancy with exuberance and confidence. And helping them do this is creative entrepreneur, maternity and baby photography pioneer Amrita Samant. Her studio 'Mommy Shots by Amrita' is redefining the rules of maternity photography by reimagining the mother-to-be as a diva so comfortable in her skin that her body confidence shines through each picture. Everything from the backdrops to the fashion is imaginative, compliments the expectant mother and reminds her of her own innate beauty, power and radiant life force.

Amrita says women are discarding dated notions about keeping their pregnancy under wraps and now revel in the changes that their bodies go through and want to be photographed in the full bloom of their pregnancy while looking glamorous. Amrita adds,"The purpose of our shoots is to enable women to see themselves as the glorious beings that they are.The bolder colour palettes and silhouettes are just ways to compliment their radiance and bring out their inner divas. We want to help women define their experience of pregnancy differently and we do it by not just focussing on the changes in their body but capturing their essence. Fashion ultimately becomes about more than just putting together a chic look. It brings out their personality." Such shoots are still a fairly new concept in India, but Amrita has seen an attitudinal change around maternity that she finds very refreshing.

Over the last seven years. Amrita has photographed hundreds of expectant mothers, including those in the public eye, and each time the shoot is personalised according to the client's unique personality. And each time, her subjects not only joyfully memorialise a very important phase of their life without fear and self-consciousness but also feel more beautiful and empowered than before.

Amrita's pregnancy shoots are fun, stress free and clutter-breaking. She shares, "We treat pregnancy portraits as works of art with elements of high fashion, a play of light and shadow, vibrant colours, flattering clothes and glamorous backdrops. There is a softness and yet edginess in the way we shoot young moms-to-be who don't want to stick to a predictable rule book. Just because a woman is pregnant, we cannot just focus on one defining feature of her body. I started fashion-inspired shoots because I wanted to celebrate and appreciate femininity and women who carry their pregnancy with so much grace, courage, beauty and power. A pregnant woman also deserves to be treated as a diva and we do just that."

Amrita goes out of her way to ensure an atmosphere of comfort and ease throughout the shoot. She says, "A photographer's skill isn't limited to their equipment. It extends to their communication and social skills as well. I make sure that a mom-to-be feels reassured enough to let her inner radiance and sparkle be captured on film. Each session is as unique as the client and recently, we photographed Dr Rohini Rau who is a World Economic Forum member, a medical professional, a champion sailor and a winner of 14 gold medals. We discussed many themes for her shoot but given her commitment to fitness , her shoot turned out to be just like her. Focussed, beautiful, strong with her form becoming the essence of her story. The clean, flowing lines in the composition did not need any retouching. The message came through that despite a global pandemic, it was possible to rise above challenges and not just live by a limited checklist of options even during a pregnancy."