Embracing Filipino Traditions, a BAPTISMstory

Not long ago, I photographed the pregnancy and birth of this beautiful family. One year later, this baby has grown to a sweet and handsome boy. 

Welcome Home, a NEWBORNstory (Ida for My Story Photography)

I am really grateful to have met Ida, a fellow photographer that shares my passion for birth photography. She has become an awesome partner with great talent. Here is a sneak peak at her most recent work for MSP.

  Look at that smile...

 Big Brother welcoming

One day there'll be two little boys jumping on the bed :)

(c) Ida for My Story Photography

Breastfeeding... #melt

I was so moved by this picture, I just had to share it. My favorite breastfeeding picture to date. I love how this sweet tiny baby is all cuddled up looking up at her mama with such innocent and adoring eyes. It's as if she's thinking, "Yup, that amazing woman is my mommy. I am safe and secure here. There is no other place I rather be." #melt. These are the moments that make breastfeeding so beautiful.

P.S. Thank you to the mommy that allowed me to post this. :)

copyright (c) My Story Photography

Many Came to Celebrate this Little One, Teaser Post

How quickly a newborn baby's face changes. Yesterday I didnt think he could get any cuter, but look at him today! What a handsome young fellow :) More to come soon!

Safe in Mommy's Arms, a NEWBORNstory ++ Slideshow

Safe in Mommy's Arms, a NEWBORNstory Plus Slideshow from My Story Photography on Vimeo.

See this link for more on their NEWBORNstory.

Safe in Mommy's Arms, a NEWBORNstory ++

When I first met this couple, they wanted to do a BIRTHstory. However, they were dead set on delivering via csec and unfortunately their doctor didnt allow non-family members in the operating room. Daddy and Mommy really wanted those precious pictures of their newborn though, especially since they have been trying to conceive for a while now. We decided on the NEWBORNstory instead and a MATERNITY shoot. Now I dont usually offer maternity photography, but the couple requested so I thought to give it a try.

We scheduled the shoot in their home a few Saturdays before their due date. Mommy was so cute. She asked if she should have her hair and makeup done. She openly admitted to being conscious in front of the camera. I told her to do what made her most comfortable and pretty and that we were just going to have fun with it.

And that was exactly what we did! We talked and laughed throughout the shoot. I wanted to stay true to my style and tried to capture candid shots as they spoke of their baby and joked amongst themselves. I wanted to capture the excitement they shared as a family waiting for their baby to be born.

At the end of the shoot I was witness to the gentle spirit of Mommy, the happy and "game" disposition of Daddy, and the brainy beauty of Ate. Im excited to see this family again, but next time with their newborn baby boy. Till next time... :)

Fast forward...

A few weeks after out maternity shoot, Mommy gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. I gave the family a few days to rest then visited for their NEWBORNstory shoot. Baby was in the nursery and could only be brought to the holding area so we did our shoot there.

I try my best to stay true to my philosophy when I take photographs. My Story Photography is about capturing special moments in a family's life. I imagine my clients one day in the far future looking through the photographs and reliving a happy time in their life and telling their children about their personal BIRTHstories. To me it is not so much about setting up to get the perfect shot as it is about capturing the beauty of the moment as it happens. Not to say that I dont set up the scene, sometimes it is required, but to me, the moment always precedes the scene. If baby does not feel like being separated from Mommy, if Daddy is anxious having baby handed around, then I do not push for it. It may not result in the best and perfect shot, but who wants to look through pictures later on and remember a stressful time? At the end of the day, I encourage the family to just enjoy and be themselves as I try to capture the natural joy, endearment and excitement of having a new baby.



So that is exactly how we did it. Daddy was so in love and mesmerized by his baby boy. He was a protective father, I could tell. He couldn't stand to see his baby cry and didn't feel comfortable having his baby handed around. Mommy was all-out motherly. She knew how to handle her baby calmly and gently. Even fresh out of a CS operation, she was walking all over the place and carrying her newborn like it was nothing! Her baby absolutely felt secure with her. He wanted to be held by his Mommy and could not bear being separated!



One day, when Baby J sees the pictures, I hope he will know of the special kind of love his protective Daddy and motherly Mommy showered on him when he was just a little newborn. :)

Little Luna, a HOMEstory slideshow

When I met Daddy and Mommy, we agreed on doing a NEWBORNstory shoot at the hospital. But some complications arose so we decided to wait when all was better. A few weeks later,

Mommy was so organized and prepared! She was calm and composed. It was as if she didn't have a newborn at all! She came complete with outfits, props and even food and drinks for lunch! And there was no yaya in the picture that day! Where does one find the time? Talk about supermom!

Maybe it was because Daddy was so good with Luna. He changed her, fed her, calmed her, put her to sleep... He was like superdad himself!

Or maybe it was because Luna was so easy to take care of! She would hardly fuzz and when she did, a little shushing would calm her down right away. A friend once told me that babies that go through a tough time in the NICU are generally behaved. I wonder if thats true?

Nevertheless, it blessed me to be with this family and see such love and excitement for their baby. We had fun dressing Luna in all the simple silly wishes they had for her - a football (soccer) player, a musician... We took our time and let little Luna set the pace of the shoot. In the end, we got some awesome shots and was even able to sneak a short video.

P.S. I am no videographer, but I like to sneak a few videos here and there. I feel it sometimes helps tell the story...

Safe in Mommy's Arms, Teaser Post

I first met this family when they were pregnant. I dont usually do maternity shoots, but Mommy really wanted my help with one, so I obliged to throw one in with the package. Im glad we did it because we ended up having tons of fun! :)

A few weeks later, their baby boy was born. He was glued to his Mommy's arms! Thank you to this family who made me feel more than just a birth photographer :) I enjoyed laughing and chit-chatting with you guys :) Till we meet again!

An Abundance of Love, Affection, and Laughter for “Baby J”, a NEWBORNstory

Births are not something that can be planned. On top of this, births in the Philippines are often treated as hospital procedures where much of the control is in the hands of the hospital and doctors. On the other hand, births are special occasions for families. A lot of unconditional love and hard work goes into labor. Then, when the baby is finally delivered, it is the first time father, mother and child meet each other. Births are unpredictable and special at the same time. I find that my job,as a birth photographer is to adjust and compromise to be able to capture this very special moment in a highly unpredictable environment...

In my earlier post “Amidst a Storm, A Beautiful Boy is Born”, I mentioned that I was unable to cover the birth of Daddy and Mommy T due to hospital policies. So instead, we agreed to play it by ear and photograph whatever we could. After photographing baby J post-delivery, we decided that I would visit them at the hospital once they were settled in.

When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see tons of visitors sharing their love and smiles with the family! I stayed a few hours, and witnessed at least 5 people come and go, and each one came in a cheerful and jolly mood!

Mommy T, even after undergoing a long labor, seemed full of energy herself!

Daddy T, amazingly good and comfortable with handling his newborn baby, was ever so helpful and supportive.

Baby J, on the other hand, was undisturbed by all that was happening around him. He was content and happy to simply sleep. And when he did get fuzzy, all he needed was a comforting hug from his Daddy and Mommy, and a cozy suckling. 

At the end of the day, although we were not able to capture the delivery itself, what we did capture was how this newborn baby was greeted with an overflowing abundance of love, affection and laughter. I wish Baby J to continuously be surrounded by joyous and supportive people all throughout his life! 

Some Sunshine on a Rainy Week... (Teaser Post)

For more, see https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151117375647103.470083.16210767102&type=1.