The Best Maternity Shoot Ever Stars A Dog

The Best Maternity Shoot Ever Stars A Dog
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
3/18/2016
Updated:
3/18/2016

Brazilian Photographer Ana Paula Grillo saw a perfect opportunity in Lilica, the pregnant pincher mix, and snapped it up. 

Via email, Grillo said she had seen another photographer do something similar before, which prompted her to wonder why she had never thought of it before.

The dog’s owners, Ana Karolina Minussi and her family—neighbors and friends of Grillo’s—told the photographer a few weeks earlier that Lilica was pregnant, but it was only after Grillo saw Lilica’s belly swell the other artist’s work came to mind. Grillo desired to recreate it.

Grillo has had a 2.2 million percent increase in likes on her Facebook page since she posted the photos on March 14. 

The whole shoot only took 20 minutes, said Grillo, and the only editing done to the photos were some color adjustments. Lilica made “sensational poses,” said Grillo. She felt the dog understood everything that was going on, and was very at-ease.

Lilica most certainly does appear to be in a state of bliss; the smiley and glowing mother-to-be radiated maternal grace. Grillo credits Lilica’s calm to the fact that Grillo sees her every day and is quite familiar with the dog.

Grillo usually takes pictures of babies—“I love babies,” she said—and cites her sister, Monica Grillo, as her favorite photographer. 

Grillo took the photos just in time—Lilica grave birth to four males and a female the next day! Once ready to leave Momma Lilica, all the puppies will go off to live with friends and relatives of the Minussi family. 

Check out the beautiful Lilica below!

Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.

Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.

Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.

Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.

Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.

Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.

Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.
Photo by Ana Paula Grillo.