Although I believe there is no difference between a male and a female portrait photographer, I think there are some peculiarities women are more androit for. I will take my experience as a reference, and I will tell you about those times when being a female photographer helped me.

Pregnancy is something you’ll never forget

Having gone through three pregnancies myself, I always empathise with women who ask me to do a maternity photoshoot, because I know how important is for a mother-to-be to capture those moments that could come only once in a lifetime.

I know some women feel awkward about it, but the only reason why in those moments they feel they would rather hide from the rest of the world is because of their ancestral mammal instinct to protect their offspring. Women are amazing before, during, and after pregnancy, and they look very beautiful in all circumstances.

I understand what you feel, because I felt the same for three times, but what I found is that with some pregnancy-optimised light settings, a good scenery, and your awesome curves, the shots will be just great.

Furthermore, I know the best timing for this kind of photos: the best moment to do a pregnancy photoshoot is between the 30th and the 33rd week, because you still feel energetic, and your body will have the perfect balance for some artistic poses: nudes and semi-nudes are very poetic and evocative, and they will be splendid with the perfectly round shape of your bump.

I know some women feel a bit shy about that, and they feel more confident posing with a female photographer, but it is really up to you.

Female portraits will capture all your beauty!

I think being a female photographer can be an advantage when shooting women’s portraits.

You see, I am in my 40s now, so I have been a teenager, a young adult, a pregnant woman, and a mother and wife. If there is something I learned is that every day is a special occasion that can be photographed. A woman has so many roles, is so many things, that there is always a side of her you did not see before.

With a female portrait photoshoot, every woman can discover and celebrate her beauty, because in spite of the years behind her, she is always beautiful and unique, and honestly, this is a gender work, and I do think that a female photographer can make a woman feel more comfortable.

The truth about being a good photographer

All that being said, I do not think women are better than men at being a photographer and viceversa: we are just people who are passionate about photography and try to make a living out of it.

I’d be lying if I said I have never met people who thought photography should just be a man’s job, but you know what? They are wrong!

That’s the only way to describe them: people who are wrong. Being a female photographer is great, and being a male one is great, too. As long as we can take outstanding photos, we are all good photographers.