How To: DIY Milk Bath Maternity Shoot

When I teased out my milk bath maternity shoot in my Instastories. Folks. Went. Crazy.

I received so many questions on how I did it and an overwhelming excitement to see how things turned out.

Well i'm happy to say...the final product was more stunning than I could have ever imagined. But, I can't possibly take full credit.

None of this could have been possible without my amazing photographer Jessica of Ely Rose Photography who was willing to risk her camera and her safety (literally hovering over my tub) to get the perfect shot and help my milk bath vision come to life...

So, I have to say if you're in the DMV you need to book Jessica for your photography needs! Not only was she able to capture exactly what I was looking for while doing the milk bath portion of the shoot. She also gave amazing direction for our lifestyle, nursery and our bedroom shoots (because trust me we were clueless).

Oh and she took special care in making us feel comfortable during the entire session which was really helpful during our intimate shots. She was able to bring out our personalities which made the love papa bean and I have for each other & the bean show on camera.

So...with all that being said, 1) book her, here's her Instagram 2) lets get into this DIY Milk Bath shoot.

Oh and be sure to read all the way to the end to see some of our favorite photos from all the sessions in our maternity shoot <3

DIY MILK BATH SHOOT

Surprisingly enough the milk bath is actually pretty simple to make.

WHAT YOU NEED

-2 Gallons of milk (depending on your tub size)

- 6 to 10 bunches of flowers (depending on your tub size)

- Lace robe/bodysuit or fabric to cover up with

WHAT TO DO

1. PICK + USE FRESH FLOWERS

NOTE- FAKE FLOWERS WILL SINK TO THE BOTTOM. REAL FLOWERS WILL FLOAT!

So, use real ones.

When it comes to picking flowers you need to select a color scheme. Are you going to go bright and bold or soft and subtle? Either direction make sure you buy flowers in colors that compliment each other and whatever you plan on wearing in your shoot.

When I got my flowers I made sure to OVER BUY, the worst thing that could happen is you get home and you don't have enough flowers >_< I purchased all my flowers from Wegmans. They have a great selection with low prices (WIN)

2. PICKING YOUR WARDROBE

When it comes to color, you want to pick something either white, cream or you could just go nude. Deciding which works best for you depends on your personal vision for the shoot, what flowers you're picking, your skin tone and your personal comfort level.

Also be very mindful of the weight of your garment as that will effect how it floats or flows in the water. Sticking to something that will either cling to you and lay flat or your skin or flow/sit well in the water are your best options.

Initially I wanted to have a full lace bodysuit like the one above...however when I couldn't find that while last minute shopping, I opted to go for a few cuts of white fabric from my local Joann's Fabrics

2. USE NATURAL LIGHT

This is huge...like really.

If there are any windows in your bathroom be sure to open the shades. If your bathroom is attached to a really bright bedroom like ours is, open the shades in your bedroom and keep the bathroom door open.

If neither of these are an option, invest in daylight lightbulbs. You can get these from *gasp* Walmart for really cheap. These lightbulbs give the room a bright white light vs the yellow/tan tones typical lightbulbs cast, which would all but ruin your photos.

3. FILL YOUR TUB

This may seem like a given but use warm water (NOT HOT or COLD). Think about it, you're going to sit in this water for a while soooo you kinda want the shit to be comfortable. This ain't no Americas Next Top Model challenge, no need to suffer through cold water.

Also, you want to fill the tub to your preferred water level before you add the milk. Adding water to milk will make it look bubbly, and no one wants that =). Also don't just dump the milk in the tub, add it slowly, stir it around and watch the color of the water change. Once the water is to your color preference, stop adding the milk.

Last tip about the water, don't fill the tub too much. Yes, you want the tub to be full BUT remember you also want to show other parts of your body in the photos too. So don't fill the tub so it covers you completely.

4. CUT + ARRANGE YOUR FLOWERS

It's suggested that you have an assistant place your flowers once you're already in the tub. Of course i'm hardheaded so I didn't do that, I placed my flowers before I got into the tub. It didn't really make a difference except, once I was in the tub there was some rearranging that needed to be done.

MAJOR KEY: When cutting your flowers leave 2-4 centimeters of stem on each flower, leaving a bit of the stem helps the flowers float better.

5. SHOOT FROM ABOVE

The best angle when shooting milk bath photos is always from above. From that perspective you get to see the full beauty of the image.

While other angles "work" they just don't come out as well.

6. TRY DIFFERENT POSITIONS

GET YO HEAD OUT THE GUTTER...j/k unless it really went there.

But really try different positions in the tub to ensure you get a great range of shots. Turn to the side, hold your belly, have your eyes closed, look down, raise your knee out of the water etc. You never know whats going to look great on camera so, switch it up!

NOW GO MAKE MAGIC

I hope these tips help you create your own floral milk bath photo shoot. No matter if it be for a maternity shoot or if you're just looking to take some beautiful pictures (these images always come out so amazing).

If you do try it for yourself be sure to tag me in the pictures on Instagram! I would love to see how yours turn out. Or if you just have maternity photo shoot pix you want to share I would love to see those too so tag away!

As promised, below you'll find some of our favorite shots from the rest of our maternity shoot.