The blog: 
A place for telling stories -
mine and yours

birth

Push Like Katy

The Power of Birth Storytelling It was somewhere around hour 22 after my waters had released, maybe 9 or 10 hours after active labor had kicked in. This was my 3rd baby – and after an easy breezy second birth I was not expecting it to be this difficult. She just wasn’t moving down, and […]

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films

The Story of Malachi | Interracial Lesbian Reciprocal IVF Birth Story

Amanda’s egg. Lauren’s womb. When that’s how it starts, you know it’s going to be an amazing story. Amanda always wanted a biological child but could not imagine herself carrying and Lauren dreamt of birthing babies since she was a little girl.

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washington dc birth photography

welcoming aravis castile | northern virginia newborn photographer

18 months into a pandemic, and I’m still trying to get my bearings. I know I’m not the only person in the world who feels this way, but I still feel like I should have figured this out by now, shouldn’t be so overwhelmed with pandemic-living, should be better able to cheerfully be running my […]

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films

wyatt charles : a birth story | Arlington Virginia Home Birth | Northern Virginia Birth Photographer

One of my greatest honors, and one of the best parts about being a birth photographer for going on 9 years, is photographing a family’s first birth…and then their second…and then their third! I met Brian and Linda way back in 2013 when I was in my first full year of being a birth photographer. […]

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Life

pregnant in the time of COVID :: northern virginia maternity photography

A worldwide pandemic changes everything, and yet babies are still being born and beautiful families still need photos! I was so sad when hospitals in the Northern Virginia area began restricting visitors, knowing that I would miss the birth of my dear returning client Jessica, now pregnant with baby boy #2. I am so grateful […]

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personal

why would you take a picture of THAT?!

One of the most common reactions when I tell people that I’m a birth photographer goes something like this: “WHY would you want to take pictures of THAT?” Implied, of course, is that THAT is gross/private/not pretty/not worthy of being remembered. Too often we think that the only pictures worth taking are the carefully crafted […]

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films

andrea sarasin :: a birth story

When Erika first contacted me last December, she wrote the following: “I’ve been terrified of child birth long before I even wanted children. Your photographs and videos are the first thing I’ve ever seen/heard that have made me not only not horrified, but actually EXCITED! Like, I might get to be one of those amazing, […]

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personal

the birth of ivy simone :: personal

Birth is beautiful, even when it is not pretty. And giving birth to Ivy wasn’t pretty. It has been just over 4 months since she was born, and I still haven’t completely processed or come to terms with how things went down. It wasn’t a traumatic birth, but it was hard. So, so hard. I had […]

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Life

Evelyn Joy :: newborn lifestyle photography

I have SO many sessions and births from the past few months to share, but I’m starting with my most recent because I am absolutely in love with everything about this session. A sweet family with a squishy newborn, rambunctious (and adorable) older siblings, beautiful light, colors, and textures – basically the perfect in-home newborn […]

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personal

announcing…..

I’ve been a bit silent on my blog and social media and this is the reason why! Baby #3 is coming to our family this spring and the first part of pregnancy wipes.me.out. I am 24 weeks now and finally feeling really great! Which is good because I have a calendar full of births, first48’s, […]

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birth

the birth story of valentina lavender

“Every midwife knows that not until a mother’s womb softens from the pain of labor will a way unfold and the infant find that opening to be born.  Oh friend! There is treasure in your heart, it is heavy with child. Listen. All the awakened ones, like trusted midwives are saying, ‘welcome this pain. It […]

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films

the birth story of Malachi Cael

The story of Malachi Cael began a few months before he made his arrival, with the wedding of his mom and dad, Jessica and Eric. I was so privileged to photograph their wedding (Yes! Occasionally I shoot weddings as well!) on a lovely little farm in the Virginia countryside. We met up again about a […]

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films

alexander xabi : a birth story film

I can sum up all I have to say about Alexander’s birth in one word: epic. This was a birth that began on a Monday evening and ended on Sunday night (yes, SIX days later.) This was an induction that included two rounds of Cervidil, cytotec, pitocin, Foley bulb, a break to go home and […]

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studio newborn photography

sana :: studio newborn photography

15 days after we welcomed baby Sana into the world, it was time for her newborn portraits. It was so fun to see this sweet family again in my studio, relatively well rested and enjoying settling in as a new family. Sana had very little interest in sleeping – I think she is an extremely observant […]

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home birth photography

films

sana : a birth story

At long last, I am so happy to be able to share this birth film tonight. This was my longest birth to date (I was there for nearly 36 hours) but also one of my favorites.   This amazing mama waited long and worked hard for her baby. After many days of prodromal labor, a […]

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Life

waiting for their little girl :: washington dc maternity photographer

As I finish up this sweet family’s birth film, I thought it fitting that I share my favorites from their maternity session, from way back in March! Spring had bloomed – or so we thought – so we arranged to meet at the Smithsonian Gardens, which according to Instagram were in full bloom. When we […]

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birth

the birth story of saoirse maeve :: northern virginia home birth photographer

This birth story is a very special one for me, mostly because of the people involved! I’ve been friends with both Scott and Irene for more than 15 years, since we were all in college – before they were married, before they were even a couple! I watched them get together, get married, start their […]

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Life

welcoming vida cassandra :: washington dc lifestyle newborn photography

Shooting the newborn session for a family I’ve seen through maternity, birth, and first48 sessions is always a bittersweet moment…it is a celebration of this new human, this new family…and also a little sad for me because it is the last time I will see them for this chapter of their story! I so loved traveling to Marco and Sharon’s bright and happy DC apartment to capture these first family snuggles. This, right here, is why I love lifestyle newborn photography – the light and happiness of the home they have created for their family is in each and every photo.

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