- April 28, 2024
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‘It’s a very love-filled moment.’
The birth of a child is a beautiful experience that’s hard to put into words, Luisa Alvarez said recently. That’s why she captures the memories with her camera, so the family can enjoy them for years to come.
Alvarez, owner of Photography by Luisa, is an Ormond Beach lifestyle photographer who specializes in documenting the birth of children. She captures such moments as the first time the mother sees the child.
“It’s a very love-filled moment,” she said. “It’s an honor to be in the room and a beautiful experience to go through. It’s something I really enjoy.”
Alvarez describes lifestyle photography as covering the important stages of people's lives. Her first experience was shooting photos to announce her sister’s engagement and later her pregnancy.
Then, she asked if she could go into the birthing room.
“My sister loved the idea,” Alvarez said.
She said the doctor was helpful, and “really got into it,” even suggesting photos.
Before a birthing event, she and the mother talk about what they want to capture.
She said the people in the birthing room may begin the session as strangers, but by the end have bonded in a shared, rewarding experience.
“The most amazing images happen when strangers come together to create something beautiful,” she said.
.Alvarez has been in business for three years and has photographed 10 deliveries. She said photography was her main pastime in high school, and she perfected her craft after school, learning from other photographers and independent study.
One of her more challenging assignments, on Nov. 11, was a home birth because there was very low lighting.
The mother, Christina Morello, of South Daytona, said she wanted a home birth, so it would be quiet without a lot of people coming in and out.
She is very happy with the photography.
“She did a wonderful job,” Morello said. “She took these beautiful pictures. I wanted to have a nice record of the birth … of the baby’s first breath. It’s such a special day.”
Alvarez was also unobtrusive, she said.
“She never asked me to pose,” Morello said. “She was quiet and captured the candid moments. That was the important thing.”
Alvarez said one of her favorite things to capture is the smile lines around a person’s eyes.
“I like to get the real smiles and laughter, especially the funny moments at weddings,” she said. “We sometimes pose but we try to capture the moment.”
The lifestyle photos she takes are not only keepsakes, but also used for mail announcements and social media.
She said lifestyle photography is starting to become a trend but many people have not heard about it.
For a birthing session, she is on call before and after the expected date of birth. After a couple of false alarms, one client hesitated to call when the real thing came along.
“But I made it on time,” she said.
