A babymoon is one of the last holidays you will take as two people, and almost nobody photographs it. That is the whole reason I love maternity sessions in Cabo: an hour on the beach at golden hour, and you come home with something better than a phone full of selfies. I'm Ana Badillo, a maternity photographer in Cabo San Lucas, and this is how to plan one around your trip.
The short version: we shoot for around an hour, at golden hour, close to wherever you are staying. Soft, flowing clothes photograph best, the walking is kept short, and the session is deliberately gentle. If you are between weeks 28 and 34, even better, but the date of your babymoon matters more than the exact week.
Why Cabo suits a maternity session
The light here is the reason. For most of the year the sun sets over the water, and the hour before it does turns the sand warm and the sea a deep, soft blue. That light is flattering at any time, and especially so for a bump: it wraps around you instead of hitting you flat.
Then there is the setting. You can have bare feet and waves in one frame, and agave and desert in the next, without leaving the corridor.
When to take them
Between weeks 28 and 34 is the sweet spot: the bump is clearly there, and you are still comfortable standing, walking a little and getting up and down from the sand. Past that, sessions still work beautifully, we simply take more breaks and use more seated and leaning poses.
If your babymoon is already booked, that date wins. Tell me the week you will be here and I will build the plan around it.
Where we shoot
The beach at golden hour. The classic, and still my favourite for a bump. Bare feet, warm sand, the sea behind you.
Santa María Bay. A sheltered cove with calm, clear water and a gentler feel. Good if you want the session to stay quiet and easy.
The desert and the agave. A completely different look: warm earth tones, sculptural plants and a landscape that feels unmistakably Baja. It pairs well with a beach location in the same session.
Your resort. If walking is uncomfortable, the sand and gardens in front of your hotel are the simplest option of all. There is no travel time and no stairs.
What to wear
Choose something that follows the bump rather than hiding it. Long, flowing fabric is ideal here: the coastal wind lifts it and the photos move. Soft, light colours, cream, blush and sand, sit beautifully against the sea and the desert.
Many people bring two outfits: something flowing for the beach, and something simpler and more fitted for the desert or the resort. More detail is in my guide to the best outfits for beach photos in Cabo.
Before the baby, and after
Some couples book a maternity session on their babymoon and then come back to Cabo a year or two later with the baby for a family session. It is a lovely thing to have: the same coastline, the same light, at two different moments in your family's life.
If that is the plan, my guide to a family session in Cabo San Lucas covers how those work, and my family photography in Cabo is here. I also have a full guide to maternity photos at Chileno Bay.
Good to know before you book
Tell me how far along you will be. It changes the pacing, the poses and the number of breaks, and it means I plan a session that suits you rather than a template.
Short walks only. The rocks and uneven sand that make Cabo beautiful are also the hardest things to cross. I choose locations with easy access.
Golden hour, or early morning. Both give soft light and comfortable temperatures. Midday heat is the one thing worth avoiding.
Bring water. Obvious, and easy to forget once we start shooting.
"It is the only session where the photos are really about the two of you, taken in the last quiet moment before everything changes."
Your maternity photographer in Cabo San Lucas
I've photographed this coastline for more than fourteen years, and I plan every session around the light and around how you are feeling on the day. Tell me your dates and how far along you will be. You can see my couples photography in Cabo San Lucas here, and for more location ideas, the best photo spots in Cabo San Lucas.
