You don't have to be cute to go viral.
A Nanaimo couple is proving that after a gruesome twist on a maternity photo shoot skyrocketed them to online fame.
At eight-and-a-half-months pregnant, Nicole and Todd Cameron wanted to snap a few traditional maternity pictures before giving birth.
But Todd came up with a not-so-traditional idea for the photos while he was out shopping at a garage sale.
"I came across a chestburster Alien xenomorph from the 1979 movie Alien, from the iconic scene where he comes out of the chest and terrorizes the ship," Cameron told CTV News Thursday.
He bought the toy and brought it home to his wife – and that's when they hatched their plan.
"I knew Nicole wasn't interested in doing a traditional maternity photo shoot since it's not really her thing, and not really my thing either," he said. "So we thought, let's use this to shock people and make them laugh."
Armed with inspiration from the Ridley Scott flick, the couple traveled to McNab Corn Maze in Nanaimo where they shot the series of frightening photos.
They start off with the couple in a pumpkin patch, posing with pumpkins and umbrellas, while Todd is photographed kissing his wife's pregnant belly in others. In other words, standard stuff for a maternity shoot.
But then the photos take a horrifying turn. The chestburster Todd picked up the garage sale appears to "burst" out of his wife's stomach, with blood spattering the couple's shocked faces.
In subsequent pictures, they cradle the grotesque creature and chase it through the pumpkin patch.
After posting the photos to Facebook, the pair thought it would give those close to them a chuckle.
"Thought it'd be a cool story to tell our child at some point when they're a teenager or what have you, let our family and friends get a laugh out of it, maybe a local paper will pick it up," said Todd. But the international media like the UK's Daily Mail came calling.
"Pop Sugar, I talked to a woman from People Magazine today…I did a Skype interview with Inside Edition," he said.
His initial Facebook post has racked up views as well, being shared nearly 250,000 times in just two days.
"The outpouring from around the world, people messaging me, media outlets, everyone just laughing. A lot of laughter being spread and that's what makes me happy," said Cameron.
Photographer Li Carter said knowing the couple, she wasn't surprised by their Halloween-themed idea for maternity photos.
"I would say it's very Todd, it's very Nicole. They're very passionate for Halloween but also for costuming, crafting," she said.
She was pleased with the pictures and thought they suited the couple perfectly, though she called the chestburster "super ugly."
"I'm sure they love him as he is and accept him as he is," she said with a chuckle.
The Camerons are keeping the joke going, even launching an Instagram account for the alien baby they've affectionately dubbed "Burston." (LINK IT)
As for their real child, who they expect to be born in the next six days, the couple isn't sure of gender but they do know one thing.
"We're ninety-nine per cent sure that it's human," said Cameron.
