Maternity photography

Most people book maternity photos between about 28 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, when the bump shows clearly and moving around is still comfortable. Travellers who are pregnant in Argentina usually schedule the session early in the trip rather than late, and check their airline’s own rules on flying in late pregnancy before booking flights home. Residents choose the place that feels like home: a garden in Buenos Aires, a balcony in Rosario, a lakeshore near Bariloche, a row of vines in Mendoza.

Weather decides the location more than scenery does. In the summer heat of Mendoza, Salta or Córdoba, the session is set for the first or last hour of light, in shade. In Patagonia and the lakes, the wind is the main problem: it wraps light fabrics around the legs, makes eyes water and tires everyone, so the session is placed somewhere sheltered — a stand of trees, a wall, the lee of a building — and a second, heavier outfit comes along. In the Buenos Aires winter, from June to August, the light stays soft all day and an indoor session at home is an easy alternative.

Clothing should be simple. Long dresses in plain colours and soft, flowing fabric photograph best, and a fitted layer under a loose one shows the bump without strain. Hotels, estancias and wineries decide whether an outside photographer may work on their grounds, so ask before choosing one, and national parks follow the rules of the Administración de Parques Nacionales. Once the baby arrives, a family session can follow on a later trip.