Pregnancy Bump Shot Montage Tutorial

Introduction: Capturing the journey of your pregnancy through weekly bump shots is a beautiful way to document the growth of your baby and your changing body. In this tutorial, we'll guide you through the process of taking consistent weekly photos to indicate the week of pregnancy. Finally, we'll use Canva to compile these photos into a stunning animated GIF or video.

Materials Needed:

  1. Smartphone with camera.
  2. Your Bump (of course)
  3. Recommended: Tripod or stable surface for consistent positioning
  4. Props (optional): A set of cards or a calendar corresponding to each week of pregnancy (Our visual calendar is perfect for this and adds a creative twist)
  5. Canva account (Sign up for free if you don't have one)


Step 1: Setting Up Your Weekly Photoshoot:

  • Choose a consistent location with good lighting for your weekly bump shots. Natural light near a window works well.
  • Consider using a plain background to keep the focus on your bump.
  • Set up your props.
  • We found that keeping a consistent schedule worked best. For example, We changed our visual calendar to the next week every Thursday morning. This prompted us to take the bump shot at the same time.

 


Step 2: Taking the Photos:

  • Position yourself in the same spot each week, preferably standing sideways to showcase your bump.
  • Hold or place your prop in the same spot next to your bump.
  • Make sure you are about the same distance away when taking the photo.
  • Using a tripod will create the best results. If you don't have a tripod, you can use the grid lines (turn on the option) on your smartphone camera to create "anchor points" in order to take the same shot each week (see below).
  • Take multiple shots to guarantee one you can tweak later. There will no doubt be some differences from week to week but don't worry, you can always crop/zoom with your smartphone app or Canva later.

 


Step 3: Editing and Enhancing the Photos:

Transfer your photos to Canva (log in to your account or sign up for free if you don't have one). Create a new page for each photo (big + sign a the bottom right of the page).

For a cohesive look, consider adjusting the background of your photos. We used this simple approach in Canva: Edit photo -> Adjust -> Select Area: Background -> Brightness, Whites, Shadows (as needed).

Don't stop at basic adjustments! Experiment with filters and effects in Canva to add a personal touch and ensure all your photos have a consistent style. 


For those with design expertise, the sky's the limit! You can work your editing magic outside of Canva before uploading. Customize your montage further and truly make it your own (we would love to see what you come up with).

Step 4: Creating the Animated GIF or Video with Canva:

  1. If you haven't already, log in to your Canva account or sign up for free if you don't have one.
  2. Click on "Create a design" and choose the "Video Collage" option.
  3. Upload all the edited photos from each week into Canva if you haven't earlier.
  4. Arrange the photos in order. Be sure to crop/adjust/move them to make the shot consistent between the weeks. The more consistent the frame, the more dramatic your changing bump will be.
  5. Add text captions to each photo indicating the week of pregnancy if you haven't included it in the props.
  6. Customize the animation by adjusting the timing between photos. Canva offers various animation effects to choose from.
  7. Preview your animated GIF or video to ensure it looks how you want it.
  8. Once satisfied, click on the "Download" button to save your creation to your device. Make sure you select the file type as "GIF or MP4 video".

Step 5: Sharing Your Pregnancy Bump Montage: Share your animated GIF or video on social media platforms, with friends and family, or keep it as a personal keepsake of your pregnancy journey.

Tips:

  • Stay consistent with your setup and poses for uniformity throughout the montage. This really brings out how incredible your body transformation is.
  • Get creative with props (such as our calendar) and backgrounds to add a personal touch to your photos. 
  • Consider adding milestone captions or notes to specific weeks for added context.

Conclusion: Documenting your pregnancy through a weekly bump shot montage is a wonderful way to cherish and remember this special time in your life. With a smartphone, some creative props, and Canva, you can create a stunning animated GIF or video to showcase the journey of your growing bump. Enjoy the process and treasure these memories forever.

We hope this tutorial is everything you needed, but feel free to let us know if you have any questions via our e-mail admin@newbornnest.au!

Want something different? Create a collage like below using Canva templates. Let us know if you'd like a tutorial on that too! 

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