INTERVIEW

Donatella Nicolini

The maternity portrait photographer tells Niall Hampton what it takes to be one of the global leaders in her field

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Donatella Nicolini

Maternity photographer

Based in Milan, Italy, Donatella Nicolini specialises in maternity portraiture. Her photography is known around the world and she is a Canon EMEA Ambassador.

Having established her studio in 2018, Donatella has risen quickly in her field, and she is also in demand as a speaker at photography conferences and events across the globe.

Donatella was awarded the Maternity Photographer of the Year title by the SWPP in 2020 and 2024, and also won its Family Photographer of the Year award in 2021.

Her creative mission is to empower women by celebrating their strength, beauty and unique journey through life, and she strives to make her clients feel like professional models.

www.donatellanicolini.it Instagram: @donatellanicolinistudio

With a distinctive style that makes her subjects appear as though they belong on the pages of high-end fashion magazines, Donatella Nicolini’s portraiture puts women front and centre. Opting to work exclusively in a studio, where she can control every variable of lighting and exposure with precision, Donatella has enjoyed a stellar rise since turning professional in 2018. And although she has won a hatful of awards from within the photography industry, the Italian edition of Forbes magazine included her in its 100 Successful Women of 2023 list – an impressive achievement that saw her line up alongside academics, businesswomen, politicians and tech entrepreneurs.

It’s all a long way from her teenage years, exploring what she could do with her father’s Canon AE-1 film camera, then going on to become the unofficial photographer for a troupe of performers while working at a wild west theme park in Sweden. The experience of doing this and seeing the joy she got from photographing people set Donatella on the path of what she does today.