Women at Pregnancy Services – Honest Portraits in Light and Shade

Beyond Midwifery

These portraits were for an article about professionals offering services to pregnant women in Barcelona. Beyond the typical midwifery work, this also included things like massage therapy and other wellbeing practices.

We did the session at the office space they share. It had lots of white walls and natural light—ideal for clean, uncluttered portraits. I used both daylight and flash, starting with minimalist compositions to contrast with some more lush, pastoral ones I’d shot earlier that week.

Minimalism vs. Pastoral

I deliberately kept the tone subdued—less “smiley,” more honest. That said, most people still prefer cheerful, flattering images. Two of the women asked if we could also take pictures in a more leafy, romantic setting, similar to what I’d done before.

And we did. Shots like those are easy. All you need is sun, some greenery, and a bit of shade. They’re not technically demanding. But I admit, I find them harder to get excited about.

Still, I had the images I liked. They might not be the most flattering, but they’re true. And that matters more to me.