For most Chinese women, child birth is a precious, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime, moment, and many are now turning to a new kind of photographer to record this moment.

 

Though Chinese women are traditionally very reluctant to talk about or express their personal feelings, especially to strangers, photographers in Beijing have found a new market in modern Chinese women who want to record their pregnancies and the way they looked and felt during this important time in their lives. Often they are career professionals involved with large companies or multinational firms who have contacts with westernized values or who may have resided abroad for a time. With Beijing becoming more international, fashionable, open and tolerant, they feel free to express themselves in this new way.

 

Pregnancy shooting services emerged in western countries among photographers who shrewdly detected this delicate change in women's temperament. The practice has now caught on here. In recent years, some photo studios that formerly specialized in baby filming have expanded their services to shooting expectant mothers, including the Ludiweite Pregnancy Photo Studio, which was established in 2005, the first studio specializing in pregnancy shooting in Beijing.

 

Unlike other studios that may have highlighted a woman's lovely round belly with cute paintings or cloaked them in sweet or gorgeous clothes, Ludiweite uses special sets and lighting to emphasize the natural changes in a mother's body and temperament.

 

Ms. Yang, founder of the studio, said, "We just want to help them record the most beautiful moments in their lives."

 

Many of Ms. Yang's clients come from medical circles; most of them are doctors. But there are also women who work in the embassy areas or with foreign companies. Most have international experience and are between the ages of 27 and 37.

 

"The older the mum is, the more she cherishes this moment. She desires to be her best and show it. So they cooperate with me to achieve the best result."

 

The photographic shooting process usually takes two to three hours, including dressing and make-up time. But there are frequent breaks and refreshment to ease the strain.

 

(btmbeijing.com November 9, 2006)