At the end of the crazy year known as 2020, a gentleman from the magazine ShoutOut LA contacted me. He asked if I would like to be interviewed for their start up magazine. I gave them a resounding Heck yea! It seems I always have so much to say! However; they shot me some real zingers that I really had to think about. I had to be brave and really tell my story of how I came to Los Angeles and continued my work as a birth and maternity photographer.

I invite you to read my interview with ShoutOut LA Magazine here

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So 2020 has been a bit of a whammy, hasn’t it? I have really neglected my beloved blog. Being the last day of 2020, it is fitting I make this year in review type of post. The last entry was in July and so much has happened since then! I have had several maternity sessions during COVID.

With hospitals not allowing birth photographers in and birth centers doing a reduction in support people allowed to attend, I have turned my focus to three things.

Doula Certification

The first is I am in the process of getting certified as a Doula. This is something I am really excited about! It not only allows me to grow as a birth worker, but will further my skills in holding space for the laboring person and partner. What does that mean though-holding space? It simply means being physically, mentally and emotionally present without judgement. “The person who is holding space helps set the tone for a kind, curious, and judgment-free interaction where the other person can be vulnerable, and like the term says “have space.” 

Maternity Sessions During COVID

The second thing I have focused on during 2020 is studio maternity photography. Maternity sessions during COVID are alive and well. Several online courses and webinars have led me to really excel in this genre. I have also been entering images into photography competitions which is something I have never done before. Winning a bronze in the RISE International Photography Competition motivated and pushed me to excel.

Website optimization

Finally, I have worked hard on this website. If you are visiting again, you will see it is much faster loading. There was a time for most of 2020 that the website was as slow as this year was long! My invaluable website builder, Tom, has put up with endless emails and phone calls from me and, well, I am incredibly indebted to him for what you are seeing now.

I look forward to a wonderful year ahead filled with growth, love and births!

The post Maternity Sessions During COVID and other News appeared first on BIRTH AND BEAUTY.

This website and recreating  my birth photography brand here in Los Angeles has been a true labor of love.  I am a birth photographer from San Francisco.  This first Los Angeles blog post will, I hope, give you insight into who I am.

When I became a birth photographer

In my 20s, I lived a free-spirit artistic lifestyle, working, learning and traveling the world with my friends. I spent the next decade or so working and developing my craft, finding where I belonged in my chosen professional career.

In my 40s, I realized something crucial was missing: My biological clock was ticking. I wanted to be a parent.

After acupuncture, Chinese herbs, standing on my head and being poked and probed more times than I care to remember, I resorted to IVF.

Eight months later, I was rushed into the operating room for an emergency C-section. Everything was a chaotic blur and my mind was in a panic. I briefly heard my child cry as he was rushed out of the room.

Later, at home, I reveled in motherhood, but mourned for all that I missed. I wanted those moments back and wished someone had been there to document them for me.

I realized that many parents must feel as I did.  With so many important things happening so fast as their child is arriving,  they can’t see, experience or feel it all.

Why I became a birth photographer

Wanting to be the eyes of the mothers and fathers, my wish is for them to concentrate on the precious gift of their child’s arrival. Meanwhile I creatively and respectfully document their journey into parenthood and their child’s journey to the world.

This invaluable service needed to be my work since I never want a parent to feel that he or she missed anything during such a monumental event.

By providing those moments, I recapture a bit of the ones I lost.

My desire was to create something more drove me to endlessly practice, rehearsing lighting of all types and mastering shooting angles.

Below are some of my favorite images for a variety of reasons. I hope to get to know you, dear reader, and give you images that you will forever cherish.

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