Photographer 'empowers' pregnant mums to pose nude like Beyoncé

In 2017, US singer Beyoncé caused a media frenzy by releasing a powerful image whilst pregnant with her twins wearing nothing but underwear and a veil.

Now a professional photographer who started her own business two years ago in Norfolk has won a national competition for her snapshots of mums to be, which empower women to be like Beyoncé and celebrate the changes in their bodies.

Rebecca Durrant, 37, from Rackheath says the whole idea is to "highlight the bump" and show mums to be have "strength and empowerment" during their pregnancy.

Ms Durrant told daynurseries.co.uk: “I adore doing maternity shoots for mums to be.

“For a lot of women, it’s about empowering because they are celebrating the changes in their body.

Maternity portraiture is very popular amongst celebrities. In 1991, Demi Moore made history when she posed nude while seven months pregnant for the cover of Vanity Fair.

"Rihanna did a shoot for Vanity Fair and Beyoncé for Vogue," says Ms Durrant. "When you are pregnant you don’t feel good for the most part.

“I feel I can give so much more to a person. When you are going through the pregnancy journey there are all sorts of emotions around it. It’s something that really touches my soul.”

'We whack on the fan and we put Beyoncé on the playlist'

Ms Durrant uses silks and chiffons specifically designed for photo shoots imported from Holland.

“We whack on the fan and we put Beyoncé on the playlist. We have dad, mum or friend stood behind getting them to repeatedly throw this material up in the air until I get that whole rippling effect and the picture that I really want.

“A lot of my maternity images are mostly nude or not wearing an awful lot of clothes because the whole idea is to highlight the bump and highlighting mum and her strength and empowerment.

“A lot of them walk in and don’t think that they look good. I have women of all sizes that walk in and say ‘I can’t believe I’ve signed up for this.’ But I would never photograph something they don’t like about themselves. I am not going to highlight that area.”

If dads are involved in the photoshoot, Ms Durrant will often ask if they are happy to take their t-shirt off to show the intimacy of the couple.

“When you feel really pants, all you want to do is snuggle up to your partner and when we think about babies on skin and think about the closeness and how important that is too, I want this to come across in the photographs of mum and dad to be.”

'I went and watched my images being judged'

Ms Durrant did not expect to come in first place when she submitted four of her maternity portraits in the newcomer category at the Newborn and Portrait Show in May.

“I couldn’t believe I won first, second and third place.

“I went and watched my images being judged. I was sat there like a nervous wreck especially when one judge spent eight and a half minutes arguing about my picture. Nobody else scored as high as I did.”

'It makes me very emotional capturing beautiful moments'

Ms Durrant started her business two years ago when she found herself juggling her job whilst bringing up her two children.

Rebecca Durrant came first, second and third at the Newborn and Portrait Show. Credit: Rebecca Durrant Photography.

“I worked for a bank for 16 years but found I couldn’t get the flexible hours I needed when my eldest started school. My partner works away so it was a case that I needed a job where I could be flexible around my children.

“Then I took my children for a photoshoot with a company, and I thought I could do this and wanted to know how to do this. I went to night school with my dad. This just progressed nicely into something I could do. Because of Covid, I had a lot of time to practice.”

Ms Durrant also holds photo sessions for newborn babies and growing families. “Baby photos can take up to four hours to get the right photo. Babies need to feed and babies needs to go back to sleep. It takes time. My studio is really cosy and I like to settle mum and baby in before I take the pictures.

“I also do a lot of photoshoots in an outside location because a lot of people want to return to their wedding venues. It’s a full circle for them, and it holds a very special place for them and their memories.

“It’s a really rewarding job, and it makes me very emotional capturing beautiful moments in someone’s life.”

To see more of Ms Durrant's work, go to https://www.rebeccadurrantphotography.co.uk/