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how to do a belly cast | baltimore maternity photography
Belly casting is a fun, tactile way to remember the shape and size of your pregnant body. It’s also a beautiful prop to pose your newborn baby. Here’s a quick “how to” along with a few images of one with did in the studio. You need at least 1 other person to help – this mama choose her 2 good friends.
1. Gather the materials: drop cloth/tarp or trash bag, scissors, water, large mixing bowl, latex gloves, 4 “ pre-plastered gauze and saran wrap.
2. Tell mama-to-be to use the bathroom first! Lay down your drop cloth/trash bags/tarp. Fill bowl with water. Have mom dress in comfortable bottoms that can get messy. Cover belly with saran wrap, keeping it as smooth and wrinkle-free as possible – you can also use petroleum jelly as a barrier instead of the saran wrap. Put on your gloves!
3. Cut gauze into strips of varying lengths, you’ll need some long enough to cover the widest part of the belly and a few shorter for smaller stretches. Dip them in water then layer them evenly with overlapping edges. I’d recommend 2-3 layers deep so the cast holds together well. Add extra to the edges. Work quickly, smoothing the strips as you go along.
4. The gauze will begin to dry in about eight minutes, but as you are applying additional layers, the cast will need to stay in place until it starts to get warm, feel heavier, and eventually separate after 20-30 minutes.
Optional 5. Sand and paint your cast then use a gesso medium to seal it. I love the look of the raw plaster, buy you can “finish” your cast by decorating or painting it!
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All images copyright Heartlove Photography, LLC. Please share this post! If your child is pictured, you may save and use the watermarked image on social media with a link to this website. Please do not crop or alter. If your business is pictured and you’d like to use the image, please contact Jill at heartlovephotography@live.com. Thank you!
a mother’s day post | jill’s blog
So many of my clients know her by the same name my kids call her, Mama D.
This beautiful woman is my own mom, Darlene, and I’m just going to say it, she IS the heart of Heartlove. She has always been the keeper of our family’s memories. The one to make you stay just one more minute on holidays so we can get a family photo. The one to shuffle us outside to get better light for out 1st Day of School pictures. Every other week or so, a roll of film would come back and we’d sit together, eagerly flipping through to see how they turned out. Even more importantly, she was the one sitting up at night writing on the back of every photo so we’d never forget the details around every moment captured.
The day this business was born, I was sitting on the couch next to my mom with a laptop and my first DSLR. “What about Hartlove?” Hartlove is my mom’s maiden name – with an extra vowel for easy spelling, Heartlove Photography came to life.
If I could only put into words what she has done to facilitate, inspire, curate and advise this and so much of my work – but there is no short version of everything she does. Sometimes it’s a small thing like making sure I get lunch or bringing a step stool before I even had to ask for it. Or saving a session by being the one making babies smile behind me – or being the gentle hands keeping babies safe on the set. My constant sounding board. The one who has a business card in her back pocket at just the right time. And that’s just how she helps out with my work – I could fill an encyclopedia with the lessons and love she has poured into whole life.
To sum it up, Mom,
‘Thank you’ will never be enough. Your support and encouragement mean the world to me and I love you with all of my heart.
Love, Jill
custom photo locket | baltimore photography
I am SO in love with this new product! These new charms are the perfect piece of custom jewelry.
If you love them too, scroll to the bottom for a chance to win your own!
Choose from your own image gallery for the front and inside OR choose a stock image (all exclusively by Heartlove Photography – you won’t find these images anywhere else!). Custom quote designs and Initials are available too!
Photo in my charm by @LennonPhotoOnline
We are looking for one more stock design to complete the collection for Spring/Summer 2014 – do you have the perfect idea? Comment on this post with a unique idea and if you inspire the last image, you’ll get your own charm for FREE!