helen tansey photography

Helen Tansey Photography

As one of North America's most dynamic portrait photographers, Toronto's Helen Tansey has worked with many celebrated actors, entertainer and authors.

Now this creative talent is expanding her repertoire to include the photography of pregnant women, a subject that's captivated Tansey for years. Only a few months old, Yummy Mummy photography has already been featured in Flare Pregnancy Magazine and the Toronto Star.

Her remarkable images are the result of Tansey's unique ability to capture the essence of her subjects. She oversees every detail. After a complete consultation with each expectant mother, Tansey goes to work on the elements that make each picture perfect, supervising hair, wardrobe, makeup, props and backdrops.

For the families, these photographs are extremely precious, says Tansey. The are a permanent archive of a fleeting and beautiful time, something families can cherish forever.

Canadian actress Erica Ehm was overwhelmed following her photo shoot with Tansey. "The photographs made me realize how beautiful pregnancy is." She said.

Below is a portion of the Media attention that Helen has recieved recently

A portrait of my pregnancy
Fat and ugly no more

Rebecca Eckler
National Post
Saturday, May 31, 2003

Rebecca Eckler preserves her pregnancy with a photo shoot at the Yummy Mummy studio of Helen Tansey, a former model who is herself expecting a child.

Twenty-five steps up to Helen Tansey's third-floor studio, in a loft in the King and Bathurst streets area, I have to take a breather. Although I'm just 4 1/2 months pregnant, I get winded easily. Strange, I think, that there's no elevator to get to Yummy Mummy Photography, and most of Tansey's clients are at least in their seventh month.

But I persevere, and finally reach the top, out of breath and feeling like I have for the past couple of months: fat and ugly.

CREDIT: Helen Tansey, Yummy Mummy.

Next time I'll go topless.

CREDIT: Yvonne Berg, National Post.

Rebecca Eckler preserves her pregnancy with a photo shoot at the Yummy Mummy studio of Helen Tansey, a former model who is herself expecting a child.

In other words, pregnant.

Tansey, an ex-model, is renowned in the film industry for taking publicity shots of actors -- Scott Speedman, Carrie Anne Moss, Sarah Polly and just about every actor who has appeared on a Canadian television drama.

I had called her earlier in the week to set up an appointment to have my portrait done, and to ask her to tell me a bit about what I could expect.

"It depends how comfortable you are," she said. "Many women go topless and cover their breasts with their arms. For others, I wrap a piece of fabric around them. And, for other women I take photos of them in their bras.

"I explain I'm not all that comfortable with my "pregnant-body look" just yet (considering I can't even stand to look at myself in a mirror).So I go to my appointment wearing tight black Lulu Lemon yoga pants and tight tank top, one of Tansey's suggestions. The tank top doesn't even cover my entire stomach. When did that happen?

"Don't worry," she had told me. "Most women who come are very nervous at first. But after, they feel so much better about themselves. Some get so comfortable that they start in clothes and by the middle of the shoot they're comfortable enough to get naked.

"Tansey has been taking portraits of pregnant women for almost a decade: "Ten years ago, one of my friends was pregnant and I took some shots of her. Those were my first. Her shape was just so beautiful. But now the pregnancy portrait is really taking off. Pregnant women are no longer embarrassed about their bodies. With celebrities like Demi Moore, Catherine Zeta Jones and Brooke Shields, who was recently on the cover of Vogue, very, very pregnant, so many more women want to document their own journey. Women are now celebrating being pregnant.

"As much as I'd like to believe I look like Catherine Zeta Jones or Brooke Shields, celebration is not quite what I'm feeling right now. The good news, though, is that Tansey brings in a make-up artist for her clients, which means we at least look as good as we can. I may be fat, but at least the bags under my eyes won't show.

When I arrive Tansey and Pippa Leavy, the make-up artist, are chatting. Tansey herself is 7 1/2 months pregnant. "Now I have a greater understanding of what women go through. I'm more empathetic. It's a great experience, but there are changes in the body.

"She looks very pregnant. Luckily for her, she looks like a very pregnant former model. Meaning, she is 5-foot-11 and incredibly gorgeous, with long blonde hair, blue-green eyes, a perfect chin and great cheekbones. She is also wearing Lulu Lemon yoga clothes. Her ass is fantastic, possibly due to the 50 stairs she has to walk up and down to her studio every day.

Standing in the vicinity of a 5-foot-11 ex-model is something I usually try to avoid. How could it not make me feel like crap? But, amazingly, it doesn't happen today, of all days. Tansey is just too nice. She helps women pick out their wardrobes and make sure their hair looks perfect. In short, she'll talk her clients through the whole process. I wish she could be my dentist.

After Leavy finishes my make-up (it takes almost an hour), Tansey tells me to remove my long-sleeved shirt.

"You look great. Fantastic," she pronounces.

All I feel is the fat pouring over my waistband.

In the studio area, Tansey tells me how to pose.

"Since you're not showing that much, we'll do profile shots. Usually women come in around 7 1/2 months pregnant. That's the perfect time.

"The room is dark and relaxing music is playing.

"Place your hand on your baby," she says. "Now switch hands and put the other hand on your baby."And on and on it goes for almost an hour. Tansey shoots away, occasionally putting down her camera to come over and fix my hair.

"This is such a healthy thing for women. When you're pregnant you can't help but focus in on your belly, but once you see the shots, you'll think, 'Oh, I look good. My belly isn't as big as I thought it was.'

"One of her clients was so eager to be photographed pregnant that she showed up at Tansey's studio in labour.

"She already had one girl, and she regretted never having pictures taken while she was pregnant with her. So when she started going into labour, she came by here and we took shots. We'd have to stop every 10 minutes, whenever she'd have another contraction. She just went to the hospital right after from here.

"Tansey takes three rolls of film, half black and white, half colour. The cost -- for the three rolls, each with 36 exposures -- is $295. Make up and hair is an additional $100.

And I do relax. In fact, I feel like Brooke Shields taking part in a model shoot. I feel fantastic, the first time in a couple months, ever since I realized my stomach wasn't flat any more and that none of my pants fit.

I ask Tansey if she knows where her pregnant portraits end up.

"Some women hang them in their nurseries. Others put them on their mantels, and some just keep them in a photo album.

"We look through her albums after my shoot. Some of the women have posed naked. "I usually only take from the waist up because women don't like their thighs shown when they are pregnant. Or I wrap a sarong around their hips.

"There are also a number of husbands posing with their wives, kissing their pregnant bellies.

Three days later, the film arrives. I cannot believe what I see. Immediately, I get on the phone, and leave a message for my pregnant friend Victoria urging her to go see Tansey. And next time I go I'm going to do it topless. I look just too good pregnant to have clothes on. At least I do when Tansey takes the photos. And that's how I want to remember this whole fat experience.