I have had the pleasure of working twice now with Martina, the brains behind the fashion forward maternity/motherhood clothing brand….NINE+QUARTER.

If you have yet to explore the collection then you can do so here. You won’t be disappointed and what I love most is that the tops are continuously wearable and organic!

Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to get some thoughts from Martina of what it is like organising your first photoshoots.

Here is the Q + A..

1. When did you start NINE+QUARTER  maternity wear?

 NINE+QUARTER launched in 2019. We’re coming up to our second birthday! The idea for easy-to-rock, organic and on-trend maternity and nursing wear first came to me six years ago when I was pregnant with my first but it wasn’t until after my second pregnancy, having found that maternity wear was still plain, dotted, stripy or frumpy that I decided to do something about the lack of exciting clothing options for pregnant and breastfeeding women. That’s when NINE+QUARTER was born.

2. How many shoots have you done for your product line and have you learnt anything from them that you can give tips to others about when planning a shoot?

I’ve done three photoshoots so far and have learnt so much from each shoot. Each time I feel more confident going into the next, I still get terribly nervous though because model shoots like the ones we’ve done are a big investment for a small brand and there are a number of things that can go wrong on the day, despite careful planning. The key for me is preparation and picking the right people to work with.

3. How did you plan out what you wanted the photos like?

This is the hardest part in my opinion and I totally appreciate that it’s an art and a profession in it’s own right. Since I can’t afford to hire someone to translate my vision into the reality of a photoshoot, I had to make up for it in terms of research and preparation. I did a lot of research, looking for images that match my vision, looking at other brands to find inspiration, whilst keeping in mind the key message that we are trying to convey: “Dressing during Maternity & Motherhood doesn’t have to be “boring”.

 4. Do you enjoy the photo shoots and what makes them enjoyable for you?

I love photoshoots! Being a small business it’s just me running the ship from my home. During photoshoots I get to “go out”, spend the day working with a bunch of talented women and really see the products come to life. I also really enjoy the preparation, which feels a bit like trying to crack a giant jigsaw puzzle.

5. What are your future plans/ goals for NINE+QUARTER?

I have so many ideas and new designs that I would like to develop but for the time being my focus is on driving brand awareness. NINE+QUARTER is a small brand and not many pregnant and breastfeeding mums know that we exist and offer something more exciting to wear during pregnancy and beyond.

6. Is there anything that you think are a ‘must have’ On a shoot or areas you can scrimp on to save on budget?

 Don’t scrimp on the team! Make sure you pick a photographer, hair and makeup artist and models that you trust to do a great job. Get a friend do act as a spare pair of hands, taking BTS shots, helping with outfit changes, picking up lunch etc. Location is also important so do your research and speak to the photographer to make sure the location you’re considering works for the type of content you need. A detailed schedule of who’s shooting where wearing what will save you a lot of time and helps keep you on track. It’s a long day so don’t forget to plan in breaks! Play some music to set the mood and have fun!

Jen - Thanks so much Martina, hopefully someone else planning their first photoshoot will find this super helpful. You can see some of the photos here and on the beautiful NINE+QUARTER website. The photographer was Laura Riba.

There is no doubt that Martina loves what she does and thoroughly enjoys the photoshoots, we have such a fun time and I feel very grateful that Martina trusts me to work with her and NINE+QUARTER.