When to Book Your Underwater Maternity Session in Florida | Space Coast Underwater Photographer

July 02, 2026 • Leave a Comment

When to Book Your Underwater Maternity Session

(And Everything Else You Need to Know to Prepare)

Underwater Maternity Photography | Space Coast & Central Florida

You've seen the images. Fabric floating. Light rippling. A belly, round and beautiful, suspended in something soft and glowing and completely otherworldly. And you thought: I want that.

So now you're here, doing what every smart mama does before she books anything — researching. Figuring out the logistics. Trying to understand what "underwater maternity session" actually means in practice, so you know whether it's right for you.

This post is for you. All of it — the timing, the wardrobe, what the breath-holds actually feel like, whether your partner can come in the water with you, and what happens after. By the time you reach the end, you'll know exactly what to expect.

The Timing Sweet Spot: When in Your Pregnancy to Schedule

This is the question I get asked most, and it matters more than almost anything else when it comes to planning.

The ideal window is between 28 and 34 weeks.

Here's why: before 28 weeks, the belly hasn't fully "popped" yet. These photos are all about that gorgeous round bump, and we want it present and unmistakable in every frame. After 34 weeks, most mamas are feeling more fatigued and less comfortable, and the breath-holds — while short and gentle — can feel harder when you're carrying a lot of weight up front. Plus there's that much more buoyancy in your belly to try and counteract to sink for photos.

That sweet spot between 28 and 34 weeks is when the belly is full and beautiful, your energy is still good, and your body is comfortable enough to move through the water with ease. And while this is the sweet spot, we can do them up to 36 weeks (we don't want to get too close to your due date in case you go into labor early).

Book earlier than you think you need to. I recommend reaching out around 20 weeks (or even earlier) to lock in your session date. Spots during peak season fill up, and you'll also want time to schedule your wardrobe consultation, ideally a month in advance.

Florida's Pool Season: Why Your Due Date and the Calendar Both Matter

Sessions are held April through October at a private pool on the Space Coast, about an hour east of Orlando. This is when the pool water is warmer (at least 80 degrees) and makes for a much more comfortable and natural experience in every way.

If you're due in late spring, summer, or early fall, your 28–34 week window likely falls right in the heart of peak season. If you're due in winter or very early spring, here's what to think about:

A November or December due date means your sweet spot falls in September or October — still within the pool season, just at the tail end.
A later January through April due date means your ideal window falls in November - March, outside the pool season. In that case, if you have access to a heated private pool (or know someone who does), we can sometimes make it work — reach out and let's talk through your options.
If you're sweet spot falls outside of the pool season and you don't have access to a heated pool, that's exactly when the beach is at its most beautiful on the Space Coast, and a beach maternity session is a stunning alternative.

The bottom line: tell me your due date when you reach out, and we'll figure out the timing together.

What to Wear: Your Questions, Answered

First and foremost, not every gown or outfit is suitable for an underwater session, whether that's due to safety or how the fabrics work in the water, or both. So I'm not going to leave this up to you to figure out. I'm going to walk you through this process.

You don't need to find your own outfit.

I have a client closet full of gowns and fabrics selected specifically for underwater photography — chiffon, lace, tulle — in a range of colors. About a month before your session, you'll come in for a wardrobe appointment and we'll choose together. This also gives you time to obtain undergarments you may need for the session (typically nude bottoms and maybe a strapless bra).

But since I know you're going to think about it anyway, here's what works beautifully underwater and why:

Flowing, lightweight fabrics are everything.

The reason underwater maternity photos look the way they do — dreamy, almost surreal — is because of the way fabric moves when it's not fighting gravity. Chiffon and lightweight tulle fan out and float around you in ways that no wind machine could ever replicate. You'll also find that fabric in the water has a mind of it's own!

Color choices:

Pool light is cool and blue-toned. Deep, rich colors — emerald, yellow, burgundy, deep plum — photograph beautifully because they contrast with the water rather than blending into it. Soft pinks, peach, cream, and white can look absolutely ethereal. Black is always dramatic and stunning. If you're going with the black backdrop option, lighter colors, including light blue that doesn't always show up as well with just the pool background, will work really well.

What you don't need:

A swimsuit. Goggles. Waterproof makeup (more on that in a second).

About your hair and makeup:

Your hair will get wet — fully wet — and it will look beautiful. Some of the most striking underwater images feature hair that fans out completely around the subject's face. You want to avoid putting any products in your hair prior to your session as it can affect the water clarity. A little leave-in conditioner is ok if you struggle with tangles. For makeup, 100% waterproof mascara and a a waterproof lip color that you're okay losing in the water are your best bets. Less is more — the water softens and diffuses in a way that's incredibly flattering, no need for any makeup at all if you don't want it. Come feeling like yourself.

What the Breath-Holds Actually Feel Like

I want to be completely honest with you about this, because I think it's the thing that makes people the most nervous.

The breath-holds are short. We're talking 10-15 seconds, depending on what we're doing. You will be dipping below the surface, getting into a pose for a few seconds while I get the shot, and coming back up. That's it. We're going to be doing each pose at least 3 times to make sure we've got the shot (and because the fabric often doesn't behave).

The pool is shallow enough to stand in at its deepest point. You can always just stand up. And we practice before we ever start shooting — I'll walk you through exactly what to do, how to sink below the surface without it feeling jarring, where to look, what to do with your hands.

Most clients are surprised by how comfortable it is. There's something about the water that changes everything. The buoyancy takes the weight off your hips, your back, your pelvis — all the places you've been carrying extra weight for months. Many of my maternity clients tell me the water is the most comfortable they've felt in weeks.

Every session also includes a lifeguard/safety swimmer on deck for the entire duration. Your safety and your baby's safety are the absolute priority, always.

If you're feeling nervous about the breath-holds: that's completely normal, and it's also usually gone by the time we're five minutes into the session.

Can My Partner Come in the Water?

Yes! Including a partner in the underwater portion of the session adds a layer of intimacy to the images that's hard to achieve any other way. Two people, weightless, holding each other around a baby bump — the images have a quietness and a tenderness to them that I find genuinely beautiful.

Your partner doesn't need any special experience. The same guidance applies: short breath-holds, shallow water, we practice first. If they're comfortable in the pool, they can absolutely be in the water with you. We can also do some images with just you and bring your partner in at certain points — it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Men typically wear khaki shorts and a solid, light-colored button-down that coordinates with your dress choices (like white or light grey).

A note on toddlers and older children: Young toddlers are often not willing to go under the water for photos several times as needed to get full underwater shots with them. We can, however, include them in photos of you holding your toddler above your belly while both your heads are above water. These are a sweet way to incorporate them without them needing to go fully under. Older kiddos who are very comfortable in the water without goggles, love going underwater and can hold their breath, take direction well, and have basic swimming abilities, can often join the session for even the underwater parts. When bringing young children/toddlers to be part of the session, you will need to bring someone who can watch them when out of the pool so we can also get ones with just you and your partner. (Our safety swimmer needs to focus their attention on those in the water and cannot also watch a young child poolside.) If you are considering having your kiddos join for some of the photos, let me know when we have our consultation so we can evaluate if they are ready for something like this.

From Session Day to Your Wall: What Happens After

Once we wrap up, I get to work on your gallery. Every image goes through a careful proofing process, and your full gallery is delivered to a private online gallery where you can browse and choose your favorites from home. If you want help making decisions about what to print, how to size something for a specific wall, or what an album might look like, we can schedule an in-person ordering appointment and I'll walk you through everything.

Then comes the part I love most.

Every single image you order is retouched by hand — by me, personally. Not batch-processed. Not automated. I go through each one with care and intention, refining the light, the color, the detail, until the final result is something worthy of being printed at large scale and hung in your home. No Smurf skin just because you're doing your photos underwear.

Underwater maternity images print beautifully large. There's a quality to the light in these photos — the way it bends and ripples — that reveals itself fully when you go big. A 20x30 platine fine art print, a canvas that fills a wall, a fine art album you'll pull out for your child someday. These images were made to be displayed, not scrolled past.

Ready to Start Planning?

If your due date puts your sweet spot within the April through October pool season, now is the time to reach out — even if your session is months away. Dates fill up, and I want to make sure we have time to do the wardrobe appointment and answer every question before your session day arrives.

If you're not sure whether the timing works, reach out anyway. Tell me your due date and we'll figure it out together.

Contact me here to ask questions or start planning your underwater maternity session. This season of your life only comes around once — and these images will last forever.

Kimberly Tank is a fine art underwater maternity photographer serving the Space Coast, Melbourne, Viera, Brevard County, and the greater Orlando area in Central Florida. Underwater maternity sessions are held April through October at a private pool location.

Keywords: fine art, maternity, pool, underwater

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