The 5 Things Every Parent Should Know About Hiring a Birth Photographer in South Florida

If you are brand new to Birth Photography, every second or third time parent who had a nurse, friend or family member take photos at their previous birth or hired a photographer for their previous birth, (and that photographer let them down in some way), will all tell you the same thing: “Hire a Professional Certified Birth Photographer in South Florida for your birth, they are worth their weight in gold.”

It is a great idea to hire a photographer for your birth, especially if this is your first baby or if you aren’t 100% happy with photos from your previous birth that maybe your nurse, or a friend or family member took. Or maybe you really loved having those photos or birth videos but would like to step it up for this Birth with some birth photography or video that is more professional. Or perhaps you don’t want your partner/spouse or family member or friend to have to have that role of birth photographer this time around, so they can be truly present, and having a birth photographer who is trusted and recommended by your doctor, midwife, doula or hospital really makes sense.

There really is a very big difference between hiring a photographer versus a photographer who photographs births versus a professional certified birth photographer.

Here are five things. Every parent should know about hiring a Birth Photographer in South Florida.

1. Your Birth Photographer should be more than just a photographer with a camera

A photographer who has never photographed a birth before will likely not have much childbirth education about the physiological process that unfolds as your uterus contracts and brings your baby into lower and lower stations of the pelvis, and with that education lacking, they may not know when they should head over to a birth. Even after 10 years as a birth photographer in South Florida, I still have clients who aren’t sure when I should starting heading over to them, and it makes sense! It’s hard to know how much longer until your baby is born, whether it’s your first baby or your birth with your third baby.

In my experience attending over 200 births, I’ve learned that relying only on what’s being communicated by your team in the moment isn’t always enough. Birth can unfold in countless different ways, and recognizing certain patterns helps me make thoughtful calls about when to arrive. Sometimes I opt to come out a little earlier than everyone’s expecting me, not just to be safe, but to capture meaningful moments, a partner/spouse sitting quietly along his laboring wife, a midwife’s verbal support, or a doula doing double hip squeezes through tough contractions.

An experienced, professionally certified birth photographer has witnessed the most unexpected turns. I’ve seen first-time moms have precipitous labors, under 3 hours from start to finish, and other clients face true emergencies where everyone rushed to the hospital, or where babies arrived at home or in the car because there wasn’t time.

Some births, on the other hand, can stretch far longer than anticipated. If your photographer doesn’t understand the physiology of birth, they may arrive too early, exhaust themselves and need to go home to sleep, and risk missing the most important moments when your baby is actually born. This is also why your photographer must take the on-call life seriously, having their cell phone volume on for 24 hours a day, all week long, from the moment you are 37 weeks pregnant until your baby is born, even if that's at 42 weeks and three days later. It's heart-shattering when you call your birth photographer at 3 AM and they don't answer their phone because they forgot to have their volume on, or they say they have to pick up their kids from school or drop their kids off with a friend before they can get out to your birth.

Understanding birth physiology is also critical for knowing when to begin on-call time. What if you're predisposed to preterm births, your photographer should actually know better and start on-call by 32 weeks just in case. Or what if you're pregnant with twins, most twins are born before 38 weeks so your photographer should probably start on-call by 32 weeks too, and the dozens and dozens of other unique cases. These are the things that are mastered by seasoned professionals who have been doing this for years.

That’s why it’s so vital to hire someone who isn’t just a photographer. Your birth photographer should be a professionally certified birth photographer who’s taken comprehensive training to understand childbirth physiology, someone who knows when to arrive, what’s happening during your labor, and when to respectfully step back so medical staff can care for you and your baby during more sensitive interventions. Your birth photographer should also be a birth worker, someone who understands the physical and emotional intensity of labor, can support you unobtrusively, and anticipates what you need without you even having to ask.

You'll especially know you're hiring a true professional by reading their Google reviews. How many reviews do they have? Factor in that if they have 5 Google reviews, that’s probably out of at least 15 or 20 clients because not everyone remembers or has time to write a review. Do your OBGYN or midwife know your birth photographer, and do they recommend them? Have their past patients said good things about this photographer? How about your doula? How about your hospital? These are the questions you should be asking.

2. Birth Photography is not just about a baby crowning

An experienced birth photographer isn't just snapping pictures, they've honed their unique style and editing process. They're not there to document 50 crowning shots, but rather to tell your unique and beautiful story. Your story unfolds through intimate and important moments, your partner/spouse supporting you, as eager as you are with anticipation for your baby's arrival, your doula's crucial and memorable role as she guides you through labor, your obgyn or midwife helping you catch your baby, those precious, immediate skin-to-skin moments as you and your husband look at your baby and take all of her in, her face, her lips, her cheeks, her voice.

But it's not just about the big moments, it's also about noticing and capturing the delicate details of your birthing day. The clock on the wall, the baby monitor showing your baby's heartbeat, your husband holding your hand, the special necklace you wore, the color you painted your nails, the calming candles in your birthing space, or the diffuser you filled with Clary Sage or lavender oil. Even the comfy slippers you brought to the hospital are a detail of your unique story. These are the little touches you poured thought and time into, and you deserve to have them all remembered. Without that specialized experience, a photographer might simply overlook these incredibly meaningful details.

3. How skilled is your Birth Photographer at taking high resolution photos at 3am in a dark, crowded room?

I know so many of my photos, if you follow me on Instagram or have looked through my website, are bright and airy, but many births are simply not like that, especially home births. So many home births, in fact, are very dark because my clients feel more cozy and focused in that environment.

I would estimate around 98% of my clients give birth between the evening hours of 9 or 10 PM and the early hours of 3 AM.

When you're photographing in a very dark space where the client wishes for minimal lighting, if you don't know how to work in such conditions, it will significantly affect the photos. The quality will come out either too dark or too grainy. You can't really practice this type of work in other settings because it truly takes many years and many births to master this skill.

Most photographers, such as newborn photographers, family photographers, and maternity photographers are most experienced in working in conditions with beautiful, bright light and plenty of space that they have meticulously chosen over the years due to their excellent lighting and space conditions for photo shoots.

But most birth spaces have very little light, or terrible artificial hospital lighting, and very little space for you to stand. You've got the doctor or midwife, the doula, the partner or spouse, and if it's a hospital birth, the labor and delivery nurse, the baby nurse and sometimes even the neonatologist. The hospital bed is often super crowded, there's no stool or chair for you to stand on to get a better vantage point, you've also got the hospital monitor and computer heartbeat monitor on one side, and on the other, the giant hanger with IVs. You are pressed up against a cabinet in most hospital rooms too! At home births you may come across tiny bathrooms you can’t even physically be inside of because there is only enough space for your client, her doula and midwife, or a birthing tub there is only one side of access to in their bedroom and the midwife is on that side along with your clients husband.

You've got to know what gear to have with you, and how to expertly use it in a dark, confined space. But you also need to know how to use it when the baby is crowning and comes out very quickly, so you don't end up with blurry, motion-filled photos. This is such a unique setting, perhaps equal to taking photos of your kids at night without the lights on, in a small room where they are running around you in circles. So many of my clients will tell you, don't leave this up to chance, don't just hire a photographer who's worked with beautiful studio lighting or natural lighting in the park their entire career. You want to work with a dedicated Birth Photographer who isn't practicing their craft with your birth because they’ve spent years perfecting their skill in the hardest of environments and the end result is stunning.

4. What does an entire birth photography gallery look like from your Birth Photographer?

Often you’ll see a photographer with one, two, or three really beautiful photos in their portfolio or on their socials, but what does an entire birth gallery actually look like?

Do they deliver 25, 100, or 1,500 photos? Are all the photos unique and high quality, or are they nearly identical shots taken seconds apart, almost like a camera feed upload? Do they have a lot of blurry photos in their birth gallery? Is the horizon in many of their photos lopsided, as if their camera was tilted?

Don't hesistate about asking key questions: How many years have they exclusively been a birth photographer? How many births have they photographed in total? If you're planning a specific kind of birth, such as a home birth, surrogacy story, have a history of many years of a fertility journey or are a single mom by choice, having a twin birth, VBAC, or c-section, definitely ask how many births they've attended just like yours. It's also good practice to ask how many births they've attended in your specific birthing facility, or with your particular doctor, midwife, or doula. This will give you a clear sense of how comfortable your birth team will be having this photographer working alongside them.

If you’re hiring someone just for one photo, or if you don’t have high expectations, it might be fine to settle on a photographer who is brand new (maybe they’ve photographed 1-5 births or maybe your birth is their very first) and trying to build their portfolio while simultaneously trying to improve their skills. The "portfolio building" stage typically describes a photographer who has never worked in the birth space before or has only captured a handful of births and needs to prove themselves to attract clients. If you’re one of their first clients, there's definitely a risk involved. You might get truly amazing photos if they have been a photographer for many years in other genres and when put in a difficult circumstance environmentally (poor lighting, fast delivery, lack of space) still handle the lighting and birth circumstances well. However, with their lack of specialized experience and unfamiliarity with their gear in such challenging spaces, you might also get the absolute opposite and feel your birth story was entirely lost.

That's why it is so important to ask to see multiple FULL birth galleries. This provides proof that you like the quality of their work consistently across many births, not just a handful of curated images from their portfolio, social media page, or website.

5. Lastly, what does your Birth Photographer’s communication and contracting look like?

A professional birth photographer should have a very clear and detailed contract that protects you and your expectations, especially since every birth is incredibly unpredictable.

I’ve had so many clients with scheduled c-sections and scheduled inductions whose babies arrived anywhere from a few days to even a month before their scheduled birth.

You absolutely need to be protected as a client with airtight contract details that clearly define your birth photographer's commitments.

Plus, you should also see that your birth photographer values themselves as a professional by having terms that protect them as well, ensuring you're both clear on communication protocols for your birth.

Beyond the contract, their communication should be incredibly clear from the very start.

Your birth photographer should be organized, and you should not feel like you’re the one who’s constantly following up on emails, phone calls, or invoices. In fact, they should be the one checking in with you, proactively managing expectations based on what they laid out from the very beginning. If there’s any hesitation with their communication being unclear or their services being sketchy or no one in the birthing community knowing them (such as midwives, obgyns, doulas, hospitals not knowing them) that would be a red flag.

Your birth story is a powerful, transformative experience, and it deserves to be honored and remembered with clarity and artistry. If my approach resonates with you and you're ready to have a birth photographer on your birth team who genuinely understands the profound beauty of birth, let's connect!

Why You Should Opt for a Professional Wedding Photographer: Unveiling the Key Advantages

Photo via Adobe Stock

Weddings are a whirlwind of emotions, love, and unforgettable moments. It's easy to consider relying on friends and family for photography, given the rise of high-quality smartphone cameras. However, hiring a professional wedding photographer offers unique advantages that guarantee the preservation of your special day in the most exceptional way. Let's delve into the primary benefits of this choice with this blog post hosted by Paulina Splechta Photography .

Years of Experience and Mastery of Different Styles

The expertise that professional photographers bring is invaluable. They carry years of experience, which means they've seen and captured an array of weddings, each with its unique theme, lighting conditions, and challenges. With this wealth of experience, they can adapt to different styles effortlessly—be it candid, traditional, or documentary. The outcome is a series of photos that align perfectly with the mood and spirit of your wedding.

Unmatched Attention to Details

It’s the small things that count, especially when capturing the essence of your wedding. A professional photographer has a keen eye for capturing the tiniest details—from the intricate lace on the bride's gown to the emotions reflected in the eyes of the wedding attendees. These details weave together to form a rich tapestry that truly encapsulates the magic of your special day.

Reliability in Technical Issues

Cameras can malfunction. Batteries can die. Memory cards can corrupt. In these moments of crisis, a professional photographer is prepared. They come equipped with backup cameras, lenses, batteries, and memory cards. This ensures that no matter what challenges arise, the capturing of your magical moments goes on uninterrupted.

Efficiency in Time Management

Weddings run on tight schedules, from pre-wedding rituals to post-wedding receptions. Professionals are exceptional at managing time, capturing both posed and candid shots with efficiency. Their organizational skills ensure that all key moments are captured without causing delays or intruding on the celebrations.

Consistent Quality

When you hire a professional, you’re not just paying for a couple of good shots. You're investing in a consistently high-quality collection of images that tell the story of your day. They use top-notch equipment and sophisticated software to ensure every photograph is of excellent quality, enhancing the overall narrative of your wedding album.

Artistic Excellence

A skilled photographer brings more than a camera to your wedding; they bring an artistic vision. From the ideal use of lighting to the composition of each shot, a professional knows how to transform ordinary scenes into artistic memories, adding a level of sophistication and beauty to your collection.

Pre-Wedding Consultations

Most professionals offer pre-wedding consultations to discuss your vision for the big day. Whether you have specific poses in mind, or unique shots you want to include, these discussions ensure that you and the photographer are on the same page, setting the stage for a successful collaboration.

Leveraging Adobe Express for Sharing and Revisiting Memories

After you have your perfect wedding photos, the sharing doesn't have to stop at just a social media post or two. Adobe Express offers tools to create lasting keepsakes from your precious memories.

• Use Adobe Express's custom thank you card maker to design unique cards incorporating your favorite moments. These cards offer a personalized touch, showing your gratitude to your guests.

• With Adobe Express's photo collage maker, you can merge your favorite images into a single, beautiful narrative. This is a great way to present your photos in a unified yet diverse way.

• Why limit the joy to just one day? Adobe Express’s photo calendar maker allows you to create custom calendars featuring your wedding photos, keeping the memories alive all year long.

• Adobe Express's Instagram post maker can help you pick and post your best shots, ensuring each post aligns with your overall social media aesthetic.

Hiring a professional photographer for your wedding is an investment in quality, reliability, and artistic vision. From capturing every detail to ensuring a consistently beautiful album, professionals offer benefits that far outweigh their cost. Moreover, tools like Adobe Express provide an excellent avenue to share and revisit those beautiful memories. Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event; make sure it's captured in a manner befitting its importance.

As you plan for a wedding photographer, consider how the story continues—capture the powerful moment of welcoming a new life with a birth photographer like Paulina Splechta. Her expertise preserves the raw beauty of birth, creating timeless images of your family’s next chapter.

Birth Photographer of the Year Awards - Representing Florida | Boca Raton in the Top 20 in 2024

Exposing Birth just hosted another year of

Birth Photographer of the Year - 📸 BPOTY 2024

It’s been a moment since I felt so excited to enter an image competition, the last four years have been an interesting and challenging time to be a birth photographer in South Florida, to say the least. But I always see a strong benefit to enter at least one image, if not the max allowable submissions, to birth photographer image competition because the opportunity to learn from yourself and your growth is really there if you give yourself permission to see it!

After reviewing the 2024 rules with the Birth Photographer of the Year Awards, I was even more excited to submit my work!

What did it for me, and really sealed the deal knowing I wanted to enter the BPOTY image competition all boiled down to this one particular contest rule:

“Entries must be from original exposures made within the last 5 years of the closing date.”

Seeing that the 2024 BPOTY awards were permitting you to submit images from the last 5 years that I have been attending births in South Florida as a birth photographer was huge for me. I’ve been focusing on birth photography for 10 years now, so 5 years worth of home births, birth center births, and hospital births (including c-sections) means literally half of the 200+ families births I’ve captured in my career! EEEEK!

The reason this specific regulation excited me so much is because I knew I wanted to enter images from births from 2 and 3 years ago, but often image competitions are strict and specific - I have found that a majority of image competitions only want to see your latest work from the current year, maybe the year before if you’re lucky. But I had certain images from specific births I had attended in 2021 and 2022 - from home births with some of my favorite home birth midwives and doulas I love working alongside of in Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Margate and Lake Worth that were incredible stories that I just knew I deeply wanted to share in image competitions.

This was the opportunity I was waiting for!

Before I share with you the five images I submitted into this years Birth Photographer of the Year Awards image competition, I’d love to share with you what set this birth photography image competition apart from other birth photography image competitions.

Birth Photographers and Countries in the Top 20

First of all, 401 images were entered into this year’s image competition, which almost became a record breaking year! Back in 2022 there were 411 entries. This is one of the largest, best recognized image competitions for Birth Photography recognized globally!

As a fan girl of the judges panel and their process, I love that none of the images are compared to one another. The judging is hosted LIVE at 24 hours per day, until all images have been reviewed by the judges panel. But it’s not a stagnant judges panel. Numerous qualified and well trained judges rotate so that fresh eyes are on each image, giving every entrant the opportunity to be judged by an excited and motivated judge (not a burned out one! Bravo BPOTY!)

Every time a new image came up for the judges, they immediately began observing, reviewing and gauging it from a technical standpoint, entirely unrelated to the quality and craftsmanship to the image before it. This process has allowed each entering artist to be rated against themselves, allowing for maximum growth and knowledge. Watching the judges panel analyze my image of my client Dani and discuss why it would qualify for a higher silver award was one of the most informative experiences for me to learn how to bump my work up to the next level.

As a artist who is passionate about always learning how to do better, feedback on my work is a critical part of my growth and learning process. I started doing photography in 2007, 17 years ago. And to this day, I want to learn how to improve my work and try new approaches and techniques every year. That’s what makes a solid artist. Someone who is never 100% content with their work but instead has a powerful drive to excel!

I remember when I first joined the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers and entered my images into their annual image competition years ago, my main goal in participating in the image competition was to book more local clients. 

I believed that winning an award in a global image competition would spread my brand awareness far and wide, having an uptick in inquiries and new birth photography client bookings just from entering an image competition.

Not only did I believe this would be the fruit of entering the image competition, but I also saw it as my main purpose.

Fast-forward 10 years and 200+ births photographed and I have a very different outlook on what I hope entering an image competition will do for my business and what I seek to gain from it.

When I was a new Birth Photographer in South Florida 10 years ago, I picked one of my top photos that received the most engagement on social media, usually a photo that I was very proud of, and simply made sure it fit the dimension, sizing and file name requirements of the image competition, uploaded it named it after agonizing over the title for hours, paid the submission fee and submitted.

I don’t regret the way I used to view image competitions, because realizing that you have grown after looking back at the last 10 years is part of the journey.

In the beginning of your career as a Birth Photographer, sometimes you need to do things impulsively, and it makes sense that when you look back, you realize: wow! your intentions are so different now… and that is all part of a normal growth process as an artist and photographer.

Now in 2024, the 5 images that I submitted to the BPOTY Birth Photography image competition were not ones that I had the highest engagement on social media with.

I remember seeing the five-year entry rules and excitedly going through all of my births from the last five years.

I hooked up my external hard drive and went through every image from births I attended at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital with certified nurse midwives and OB/GYNs, I went through C-sections, inductions and epidural free natural births with birth doulas and moms laboring unmedicated using hypnobirthing, birth tubs, showers, twinkly lights, hip compressions and essential oils. I looked at my water births and vbacs I’ve had with the teams from Hollywood Birth Center and Natural BirthWorks Birth Center, I looked at birth I’ve had in West Palm Beach as well as home births in Stuart and Delray Beach.

Basically - everything from my last five years!

As I went through each client and their files of birth photos carefully, I reminisced on how special and meaningful every single one of my clients babies “birth” days were.

It’s crazy how well I remember so many babies names!

And the moment I see a photo or hear a clients name, it’s almost like I can see flashes of their birth story in my mind.

That’s something that a lot of photographers don’t talk about, when you’re going through your work from past years, a lot of photographers don’t talk about how it feels to go through past birth stories after all this time has gone by and reminisce on how much that birth story healed your heart as an artist, and how that particular birth story impacted your career, how being at that birth affected your personal life that week/month, how that particular client or her labor impacted your decisions as a business owner, how your client’s birth story impacted your spirit as a birth worker.

Going through your birth photos from past years, especially from the last five years, will take you on an emotional and spiritual journey that far surpasses the statement “submit an image to a competition”.

Photographers don’t talk about it, and sometimes maybe we are moving altogether too quickly when we are searching for photos worthy of competition submissions, but going through photos from 24 births a year for 5 years (like a dork I did the math, that’s roughly 20,000 photos) that process is just soul-impacting.

Some of us going through rough seas may absolutely dread the process. Others going through calm seas may too. But I find if you just drop your guard and allow yourself to surrender to the process, you can find a life lesson in there for yourself, that has nothing to do with the rest of the world, and becomes a meaningful ritual you do for the betterment of yourself alone.

This year’s Birth Photographer of the Year Award had106 silver winners - 26% of entries, 27 silver distinctions - 6% of entries, 8 gold winners, and that’s a mere 2% of images entered, 2 gold distinctions at a 0.5% of entries.

Those are some stunning numbers!

I am in awe of the entrants!

And this goes to show, an image competition does NOT need to have 1 Gold Winner, 1 Silver Winner and 1 Bronze Winner to show the world you are good at your craft. The max images you could submit to the competition were 5, and with 106 Silver Winners, that tells me, even if all 106 Silvers went to artists who won 5 silvers (which I know isn’t the case, as I was awarded 3 silvers only) this at the bare minimum would mean there are at least 21 outstanding artists world wide making a meanginful and profound impact on their communities! This does not even weigh in all the phenomenal images that ranked in the professional birth photography category.

But with 401 total entries, there are some 300 images that belong to at least 60 talented birth photographers and that’s really saying something about what birth photography in the world means in 2024!

Beyond medals and individual awards, this image competition also acknowledged the Top 20 Highest Scoring Portfolios of 2024. The judges took the scores from all 5 images each entrant who chose to submit all 5, and ranked the top 20 (in this case we had a tie, so top 21) ranking portfolios.

The Top 20 Portfolios belonged to entrants from 7 countries and 8 states

And I am so proud to represent my home state of Florida on a global platform, having been awarded among the top 20 portfolios!

Below, you’ll find the names and links to every artist from the top 20, and I encourage you to give their websites a visit, especially if they are local to you:

Rhia Mathlin-Cook from Victoria, Australia

Autumn Hutton from New Orleans, Louisiana

Ania Wibig from Poland

Madison Swann from Colorado

Bo De Saedelaere from The Netherlands

Leah Holscher from Melbourne, Australia

Megan Van Zyl from South Africa

Katie Lacer from Kentucky

Dunja Visser from The Netherlands

Jacinta Lagos from Wisconsin

Paulina Splechta from Florida

Sarah Steffen from Wisconsin

Alexa Santaularia from Colorado

Magdalena Jones from Germany

Erin Loughlin from Wisconsin

Natalie Broders from Oregon

Joyhannah Torres from Texas

Anne Lucy Silva Barbosa from Brazil

Colleen Murtha from Ohio

Marjolein Roossien from The Netherlands

Beth Lindsay from New South Wales, Australia

Is Your Baby Thriving? Expert Insights on Infant Weight Gain & Feeding in South Florida

The rapid growth and development of your newborn baby is a joyous, yet sometimes anxiety-inducing, part of parenthood. It's natural to wonder if your little one is gaining enough weight and eating enough. Let's explore insights from trusted baby experts in South Florida to help you navigate this crucial aspect of your baby's early months.

Decoding Baby Weight Gain: What's Normal?

It's important to understand that most babies lose a bit of weight in the first few days after birth. But how quickly should they regain it, and what's a healthy weight gain pattern?

According to Dr. Leigh Serra, a pediatrician, "By two weeks, I expect a baby to return to birth weight. The average baby then gains about one ounce per day for the first month, and about one or two pounds a month until month six."  

Key Takeaways:

• Early Weight Loss is Normal: Don't be alarmed if your baby loses a bit of weight initially.

• Steady Gains are Key: Aim for consistent weight gain in the first few months.

• Individuality Matters: Remember that these are averages, and healthy babies can vary.

• Seek Guidance if Concerned: Consult your pediatrician if you have any concerns about your baby's weight gain or feeding patterns.

The Power of a Supportive Community:

Navigating parenthood can be overwhelming, but you don't have to do it alone. South Florida boasts a wealth of dedicated professionals specializing in infant and maternal care.

As my friend Kat Vigo, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, beautifully puts it: "I am convinced that I am in the best field. Each of these women specialize in different areas to help moms survive these first few years. And we are all local!"

Boca Raton Birth Photographer: Documenting Your Journey

As a birth and family photographer, I'm honored to capture these precious early moments. I believe in creating a supportive and empowering environment for new parents, connecting them with valuable resources and documenting their unique journey with love and artistry.

Serving South Florida: Your Trusted Photographer

Whether you're in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, or anywhere in between, I'm here to capture your family's story. My approach is natural and unobtrusive, allowing you to focus on bonding with your baby while I create timeless images you'll cherish forever.

Contact Me Today: Let's Celebrate Your Growing Family!

Let's create a visual legacy that captures the beauty and joy of your parenthood journey.

Boca Raton Maternity Photography: Celebrating Love and Disney Magic at South Inlet Beach Park

Meeting Ashley & David, two expectant parents with a shared love for Disney, was an absolute delight! Their choice to name their baby girl Lilo, after the beloved character from "Lilo & Stitch," instantly resonated with me, as it's one of my all-time favorite Disney movies too!

Their maternity session at South Inlet Beach Park in Boca Raton was filled with heartwarming touches. Bringing their childhood Mickey and Minnie Mouse hats added a playful and personal element, capturing the essence of their joyful anticipation.

South Florida Maternity Photography: Preserving Your Unique Story

As a dedicated maternity photographer serving Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Parkland, Boynton Beach, Southwest Ranches, West Palm Beach, and Delray Beach, I'm passionate about capturing the beauty and diversity of expectant families. Whether you're a Disney enthusiast, a nature lover, or simply want to celebrate the miracle of pregnancy, I'll work with you to create a personalized session that reflects your unique story.

Embrace the Glow: Beach Maternity Photoshoots

South Florida's stunning beaches provide the perfect backdrop for capturing the radiant glow of expectant mothers. From the soft sands of Delray Beach to the vibrant energy of Fort Lauderdale, I'll help you create timeless images that you'll treasure for a lifetime.

Diverse & Inclusive Maternity Photography

I'm committed to celebrating love in all its forms. This maternity session with Ashley & David highlights the beauty and joy of LGBTQ+ families as they welcome a new addition. My goal is to create a safe and welcoming space where all expectant parents feel comfortable and empowered.

Contact Me Today: Book Your Maternity Session

Are you ready to capture the magic of your pregnancy? My calendar is filling up fast, so don't hesitate to reach out!

Golden Moments: A Luxury Newborn Photography Session in Parkland, Florida

Soft light, gentle cuddles, and the warmth of a new family. This recent newborn photography session in the heart of Parkland, Florida, was a true celebration of love and life.

A Journey of Love: From Birth to Newborn

I was honored to have previously documented this family's birth story, witnessing the miracle of their baby girl's arrival. Returning to their home for a newborn session allowed me to capture the next chapter of their journey: a chapter filled with quiet moments, tender touches, and the blossoming bond between parents and child.

Parkland Newborn Photography: Luxury & Light

Bathed in natural light and adorned with golden accents, their home provided the perfect backdrop for this luxury newborn session. We focused on capturing the raw emotions and genuine connections that define this special time. From intimate cuddles and loving kisses to playful interactions with their furry "big brothers," every moment was infused with joy and tenderness.

South Florida Newborn Photography: Preserving Precious Memories

As a dedicated newborn photographer serving Parkland, Boca Raton, and surrounding areas, I'm passionate about creating timeless portraits that families will cherish for generations. My style is natural and unobtrusive, allowing your family to relax and be themselves while I capture the authentic beauty of your newborn's early days.

Beyond the Ordinary: Newborn Photography that Tells Your Story

I believe newborn photography is more than just capturing adorable poses. It's about documenting the unique love story that unfolds within your family. From the delicate details of your baby's features to the tender moments of bonding, every image tells a part of your story.

Contact Me Today: Limited Availability for 2024

My calendar is filling up quickly! If you're expecting in South Florida and seeking a newborn photographer who understands the importance of capturing these fleeting moments, I'd love to hear from you. Let's create a collection of images that will forever remind you of the beauty and joy of welcoming your new baby into the world.

Boca Raton Maternity Photography: Capturing the Anticipation of First-Time Parents

There's a unique glow surrounding first-time parents-to-be, a mix of excitement, anticipation, and perhaps a touch of nervous wonder. I recently had the joy of capturing this radiant energy during a stunning maternity session in Delray Beach, Florida.

Destiny's Glow: A Beach Maternity Session to Remember

Meet Destiny, a beautiful mom-to-be, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her first child. We chose the picturesque beaches of Delray Beach as the backdrop for her maternity photoshoot. Her stylish crop top and maxi skirt ensemble perfectly complemented the coastal setting, and we captured a variety of images both on the boardwalk and the sandy shores.

Boca Raton Maternity Photography: Celebrating New Beginnings

As a dedicated maternity photographer in Boca Raton and surrounding areas, I'm passionate about documenting the journey into parenthood. Whether it's your first child or your fifth, I believe every pregnancy deserves to be celebrated.

Personalized Maternity Sessions: Tailored to You

My approach to maternity photography is all about capturing your unique story. We'll work together to create a personalized session that reflects your style, personality, and the love you share with your partner.

Serving South Florida: Your Trusted Maternity Photographer

From Delray Beach to Parkland and beyond, I'm here to capture the magic of your pregnancy. My expertise lies in creating timeless images that you'll cherish for years to come.

Contact Me Today: Limited Availability Through May 2025!

My calendar is filling up quickly, so don't wait to book your dream maternity session. Let's create a visual legacy that celebrates this special chapter in your life.

South Florida Breastfeeding Stories: Overcoming Challenges, Embracing Triumphs

Breastfeeding is a beautiful, intimate journey. It's also one filled with unique challenges and triumphs. I reached out to mothers I've photographed over the years, inviting them to share their breastfeeding stories. Their candidness and vulnerability offer valuable insights for expectant and new mothers in South Florida.

Real Mothers, Real Experiences:

• Kate: Overcoming latching difficulties and navigating breastfeeding as a working mom. Her strength and determination led to an incredible 19-month journey.

• Ida: Pushing through latch issues and refusing to give up, ultimately nursing three children. Her experience underscores the importance of perseverance and challenging societal norms.

• Nicole: Embracing the exhaustion and intensity of the early months, finding joy in the unique bond created through breastfeeding. Her photos serve as cherished reminders of those precious moments.

• Nina: Acknowledging the challenges and celebrating the rewards of providing the healthiest start for her child. Her photographs capture a proud moment of motherhood.

• Elissa: Overcoming various breastfeeding hurdles, including a NICU stay and oversupply. Her story emphasizes the power of a strong support system.

• Luz: Listening to her babies' needs and prioritizing their connection. Her photos capture the essence of a mother's love and dedication.

• Melanie: Trusting her instincts and overcoming early breastfeeding challenges. Her photos will serve as a reminder of her strength and resilience for years to come.

I had no idea what to expect of breastfeeding.  When I was pregnant and people asked if I was going to I'd always said I would give it a try.  It seemed that so many people had difficulty and I didn't want to put that kind of pressure on myself.  When Jed arrived via c-section and we were separated for 45 minutes because he had to get his lungs checked I panicked a bit that breastfeeding wouldn't come naturally.  I was so pleasantly surprised and elated when he immediately latched!  From that moment I knew that being able to feed my child was such a special gift!  We struggled a bit in those first days with a latch that hurt me but my chiropractor was able to do a small adjustment in Jed's mouth to improve that.  It was fascinating!  In the weeks and months that followed breastfeeding was the single most challenging and rewarded experience of motherhood.  With the support of my husband, mom tribe, facebook groups, and websites I was able to power through when I wanted to give up.  I realized just how lucky we are to have those resources and how invaluable that support was for getting me through the hardest days.  I refused to give up and realized that the benefits greatly outweighed sore nipples, sleepless nights and being inconvenienced.  I continued to breastfeed after going back to work full-time, pumping in an IT room 3x a day for 9 months and even while traveling for business in airport bathrooms and empty offices.  We far exceeded my original goal of 1 year making it all the way to 19 months!  The picture taken of us in those early weeks makes me so proud!  I had no idea where the journey was taking me.  I was a new mom trying to navigate through it all and have faith and trust in the process.  When I look back on that image I feel so strong and powerful!  I set out into the unknown and pushed past my fears and struggles to have the most beautiful experience a mother and baby can share.  When I look back on that image I feel strong and powerful - I feel like a Superhero! - Kate

Breastfeeding was very important to me from the beginning. In my mind I thought it would be easy and it would just come naturally. However everyone deals with struggles, and pushing through is the best decision I ever made. Supply was never an issue for me however my my daughter had latch issues. For the first three weeks of her life I had to pump and bottle feed her every 2 1/2 hours. I refused to give up, and I'm so glad that I didn't throw in the towel. After three weeks she began to latch beautifully on her own and we went on to nurse until she was 20 months old. Since nursing Chloe I have been able to breastfeed through two pregnancies and nurse two healthy boys. The photo that Paulina captured of myself and my daughter while I was pregnant with my first son made me feel incredible. Her photos are so much more than pictures to me, they are moments that I will cherish for all my life. Through my experience with Paulina I was able to be more bold in motherhood and life. Breastfeeding is not something to be ashamed of, or to be hidden and I wish more mothers would understand that. Nursing is not for everyone but for those who choose to breastfeed their children they should not feel like they have to hide. Breastfeeding is completely natural and society is wrong in telling us to hide, no child should have to be covered up in the heat or have to eat in the car or the bathroom. Be proud of your breastfeeding journey and don't be afraid of nursing in public or making others uncomfortable. If they're uncomfortable, they can go eat in their car or the bathroom. You're body was made for this, and be proud of that. - Ida

Breastfeeding has been a beautiful journey for us. He latched quickly, I barely felt pain, and he was (and still is) a quick feeder. The most difficult thing for me was the feeling that my body wasn't mine anymore. The first few months he nursed every 20 minutes. All day and all night! It was truly exhausting. He is almost 14 months now and I am glad we continued and have made it this far!! 

Breastfeeding has helped create such an amazing bond between us. There is no better feeling than holding my baby close and having him look at me as if I'm the only thing in the world. I love that Paulina was able to capture that moment. I know one day he will grow up and he won't look at me like that anymore. I'm so grateful that I have the moment captured forever.

- Nicole

No one told me that breastfeeding would be the hardest thing I'd ever do! A support system and determination are the two most important keys to success, particularly during the tough times. Know that it will get easier, and you will be so satisfied knowing that you provided your child the healthiest possible start in life. The photographs that Paulina took capture a precious moment in time with my son that I will always be able to look back on and remember proudly. - Nina

I have over come several breastfeeding obstacles such as, excessive weight loss in a newborn, dysfunctional tongue, a NICU stay, flat nipples, oversupply & a forceful letdown. All were challenging in different ways, the excessive weight loss could have been truly devastating, especially since it was with my first child and it could have ended our breastfeeding relationship way too early. Luckily I had the support of my husband, our pediatrician, friends, a lactation consultant and the La Leche League. Because of all the support I was able to move past this phase quickly and continue breastfeeding my child until he self weaned at 2 years old. My daughter (my second child) was in the NICU for 10 long days, and due to her birth she was unable to suck properly for the first 36 hours causing the insertion of a feeding tube. Luckily I had an amazing nurse and I myself was very insistent on pumping and nursing so my baby was able to have 100% breast milk from the start. I also couldn't hold her for three days due to certain medical circumstances, but that did not stop me from leaning into the NICU crib to nurse my baby despite the pain it caused me. My baby girl was a fighter from the start and despite our challenges she latched perfectly and we are 16 months going strong. Lack of support is the biggest reason women give up on breastfeeding. Luckily I had an amazing support system in place and I can't say enough good things about each and every person that played a role in our journey. - Elissa

I nursed my son for 2 years, now I'm nursing my daughter and I'm planning on doing it for however long we both decide. The biggest thing I've learned is that it's only about my babies and I. It doesn't have to be convenient for anybody but us. I learned to listen to them instead of a schedule, my body knew exactly what they needed when they were sick, teething, sad or sleepy. 

The images I have from those moments mean so much to me. It's a reminder that at one point in their lives, I used to be everything they needed. The world could stop, cause everything was fine as long as we were together.  - Luz

When my daughter was just a few days old, she had lost a little weight like most babies do. Her pediatrician recommended supplementing, but I knew in my heart that was against what my husband and I wanted. We did not supplement, and only fed her breast milk for the first six months of her life. It was hard sometimes. I struggled in the first six or seven weeks with a poor latch on one side, milk blisters, and clogged ducts. There were tears and  nearly sleepless nights. But it was all worth it. She is absolutely perfect and healthy. There aren't words for how glad I am that we documented this amazing journey together with photographs.

When she is done nursing, when our midnight snuggles and gazing at each other while nursing are a distant memory, I will have these photographs to remind me of one of the happiest times of my life. Best of all, I'll be able to share the photos with my daughter when she is a new mother with embarking on her own breastfeeding journey. - Melanie

Breastfeeding Resources in South Florida:

These mothers' stories highlight the importance of seeking support during your breastfeeding journey. Connect with local resources like La Leche League and certified lactation consultants for expert guidance and encouragement.

Boca Raton & South Florida Breastfeeding Photographer:

I'm privileged to capture the intimate bond between mothers and babies through breastfeeding photography. My approach is gentle and respectful, allowing you to focus on your connection while I create timeless images that you'll treasure forever.

Serving Broward, Palm Beach, Martin & St. Lucie Counties:

I'm here to document your unique breastfeeding journey, providing beautiful photographs that celebrate the love and strength of motherhood.

Contact Me Today!

Let's capture the essence of your breastfeeding experience.

Misconceptions About Birth Photography: Unveiling the Hidden Value

As a birth photographer, I've heard many reasons why families hesitate to invest in professional documentation of their birth experience. Often, these hesitations stem from misconceptions about what birth photography entails. Let's address some common myths and uncover the profound value that a skilled birth photographer brings to this sacred journey.

Myth #1: "Someone else can do it. My husband can just take photos."

While your partner undoubtedly wants to capture these precious moments, their role during childbirth extends far beyond photography. They are your rock, your support system, and their focus should be on you and your baby. A professional birth photographer ensures that your partner can fully immerse themselves in the experience without the added pressure of documenting it.

Moreover, a birth photographer's expertise lies in capturing the nuances and emotions that unfold during labor and delivery. They anticipate those fleeting moments, ensuring no precious memory is missed. They understand the lighting, angles, and composition needed to create stunning images that transcend mere snapshots.

Myth #2: "Birth photography is too graphic or intrusive."

Birth photography is about capturing the beauty, strength, and raw emotion of childbirth. While it's true that birth can be intense, a skilled photographer knows how to document the experience with respect and sensitivity. They focus on the connection between mother and baby, the support of loved ones, and the transformative power of bringing new life into the world.

The Hidden Value of Birth Photography

• A Timeless Legacy: Birth photographs become treasured heirlooms, allowing you to relive the miracle of your child's birth for years to come.

• Empowerment & Healing: Documenting your birth journey can be a powerful tool for healing and self-discovery, reminding you of your strength and resilience.

• Family Bonding: Sharing your birth story through photos creates a powerful connection with your child and loved ones.

• Professional Expertise: A skilled birth photographer understands the nuances of lighting, composition, and storytelling, creating a visual narrative that captures the essence of your experience.

Boca Raton Birth Photographer: Preserving Your Sacred Moments

If you're considering birth photography in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, or the surrounding areas, I'd be honored to discuss your vision and answer any questions you may have. Together, we can create a beautiful collection of images that celebrate the miracle of your baby's birth.

Dad Delivers His Own Baby at Boca Regional Hospital: A Birth Photographer’s Dream Moment You Won’t Believe!

The only thing better than working with a Birth Photography client here in South Florida, where I get to capture my client and her husband going through the process of labor, preparing to meet their newborn baby for the very first time and become parents to that little one is having the opportunity to work with that same family more than once!

Hands-down, one of my very favorite things about being a South Florida Birth Photographer besides capturing my client meeting her baby and completely falling in love with her little bundle of joy is when I get that text or phone call letting me know that my client is pregnant again and that she wants to hire me again!

Repeat Birth Photography client, is a client who wants Birth Photography and loved working with me for a previous birth and decide to hire me again the next time they are pregnant.

About a third of all of my Birth Photography clients here in Boca Raton are repeat clients who are hiring me for the second, third, and even forth time (I’ve had 6 families hire me for four births in the last ten years!)

What is super exciting and especially a treasure about working with my repeat Birth Photography clients is that we’ve gotten to know each other over the course of a previous pregnancy especially since a majority of my clients hire me for their baby’s birth when they are in their first trimester, so we have plenty of time during the second and third trimester to get to know each other, and often times a majority of my Birth Photography clients will also hire me to do their pregnancy announcement photo session and a maternity photoshoot.

If this baby that my Birth Photography client hired me for is not their very first baby and they are not first time parents, my clients will often hire me to come back to the hospital the day after they give birth while they’re in the postpartum unit of the hospital and capture their toddler or older children arriving to the hospital to meet the baby in what I call a Fresh 48 Photo Session.

Although, the majority of my Fresh 48 Photo Sessions here in Boca Raton have been with my couples who are having their very first baby, hiring me for a 48 photo session with just their husband and their newborn baby girl or baby boy in the postpartum wing of the hospital. I think this is so special because it’s an entirely different photography style from Birth, its the day after your birth, you’ve showered, gotten dressed, gotten out of bed, touched up hair and some light makeup, and now are able to entirely focus on your baby, and not the birthing process.

Each photo session type, whether Birth Photography or a Fresh 48 Photo Session, carry with it a uniqueness and beautiful story telling.

I especially love doing photo sessions at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital in East Boca as well as West Boca Medical Center (The Birthcare Pavillion at West Boca Medical Center) because I’m so familiar with the natural lighting from the windows in these hospitals as well as what the postpartum rooms look like.

Many families in lieu of a Fresh 48 Photo Session in the hospital will do an on-call coming home photo session which can be done either impromptu, as the couple comes home from the hospital with their new baby for the first time and their older children or the grandparents are there waiting for their arrival home from the hospital so they can meet the baby for the first time.

I always try to include my Birth Photography client’s furbabies so whether they have a dog or a kitty at home, we make sure they get to meet the new baby too. I recommend for my Boca Raton Birth Photography clients to bring home a blanket from the hospital (with hubby or grandparents) the day before the baby is discharged from the hospital so that the dog or cat at home can get use to the baby’s new smell before the official arrival at home.

My On-Call Coming Home Photo Sessions are a relaxing session because while yes, it does happen as you arrive home from the hospital so you’re probably not feeling the same as when you schedule a Family Centered Newborn Photo Session in your home for once your baby is a couple of weeks old, and you’ve had a chance to heal a little bit from the labor and delivery as well as find a new routine with the new baby in your life.

But On-Call Coming Home Sessions can be really special to capture fleeting, very first reactions from older kids, especially.

What really always gets me in the heart is when grandparents are included either Fresh 48 Photo Session iin the hospital or the On-Call Coming Home Photo Sessions at home because there is nothing quite as remarkable as capturing the expressions on the faces of grandparents meeting the newborn baby for the first time.

The only other thing that top this is the reaction of parents meeting their baby for the very first time during the delivery that I love capturing here in Boca Raton with my Birth Photography services.

So with my Birth Photography clients in my Boca Raton Birth Photography Blog photos, I had the opportunity to get to know them during their very first pregnancy with their baby girl. We touched base frequently during her pregnancy while she was under the care of her Midwives, Tyler, Rachel, Adrienne and Laurie at Women’s Health Partners in Boca Raton, and I really enjoyed all of our prenatal check-ins during her entire first pregnancy. I treasured being able to also be present for her in a emotionally supportive way and I value whenever I have strong bond with my Birth Photography clients such as this when my client is absolutely open to receiving guidance or advice that has worked for previous clients or even for me in previous pregnancies. It is truly a treasure to be trusted in that way.

When I came into my Birth Photography clients birth at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital for her second baby, a baby boy this time around, I had to right away take a picture of her husband‘s visitor sticker on his T-shirt because it literally had my birthday listed on it which was so special to me that my client was having her son on the day of my birthday!

Midwife Tyler from Women’s Health Partners came in and she is always such a radiant presence that brings so much calm and joy and warmth into a birthplace.

I was really lucky that one of the labor and delivery nurses that was part of my Boca Raton Birth Photography client’s team is a good friend of mine, you can really feel that in the energy of the birthplace when the team has worked together so many times that everyone feels super comfortable around each other. It almost brings another layer of comfort to the birthing mom.

I love the expressions on my Birth Photography client’s husband’s face because he is so excited for his powerful wife and can really see that expressed in all of the photos.

What’s so cool is his active participation in delivering his own newborn baby boy.

This is one of the coolest experiences in the entire universe to see a dad not only meet his son for the first time during the delivery, but also, actually get to catch him himself.

While I always recommend your Certified Nurse Midwife (such as Tyler from Women’s Health Partners in this specific birth) or OB/GYN to assist in the delivery to make sure that if there are any complications or difficulties, your provider is right there with a seamless transition from womb to world, but it is the most exciting thing to witness a dad catching his own child.

And of course, all the Midwives At Women’s Health Partners are so supportive of parents who are wanting to bring their baby into the world in this way, which is so awesome to know that you got these phenomenal medical care providers in your corner during one of the most incredible experiences of your life!

I have had my Birth Photography clients over the last ten years delivered by all four of the Midwives At Women’s Health Partners, as well as all of the OB/GYNs that support the Midwifery team at Womens Health Partners and I really love working with such a diverse team because you’ve got the best of both worlds Obstetrician and Midwifery care depending on what the patient expectation and needs are.

I really love my Birth Photography client’s emotional reactions in all of these photos.

It really goes to show that even when it’s not your very first baby, you have a powerful reaction to each new baby that you meet because the love is unprecedented regardless of which baby it is!

Of course my Birth Photography’s client husband cut the cord just as he did with his first baby girl and then they finally got to take a good look of baby boys face who was so super cute and so much hair!

I wonder if the old wives tail about heartburn is true for every single person whose baby has a lot of hair at birth! Was it true?

I wouldn’t be able to say because I had heartburn, but my two babies did not have any hair.

I really appreciate when you’re working with Midwifery care that they take the time to show you your placenta, while some people might think that it’s icky, what’s really amazing is that this powerful organ that you’ve never had in your body is grown only exclusively for your babies birth!

And I appreciate when the midwives take the time to show their patient and their patient’s husband, the placenta and what it looks like and where it was attached and which side the baby was against during the entire pregnancy because it really shows how passionate they are during pregnancy which I think is so incredibly important that people who are going into the birthplace go into it with as much information and education as possible so that they can make truly informed decisions and not just not their head yes or no without knowing what they are agreeing to. I really love that.

My client and her husband hired me for both of their births which they had at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital and it is always really cool to compare the experiences from one birth to the next, especially when they occur in the same facility and I will say that it was wonderful seeing them have a super supported experience with both of their babies, despite their birth teams being a little bit different each time because they are very first baby was delivered by their Midwife Adrienne second baby was delivered by Midwife Tyler from the same practice.

Even when my clients choose to work with an OB/GYN for their birth, their birth story can be super beautiful and even when my clients choose to Schedule an induction or a C-section or whether those are not scheduled and they happen unexpectedly birth experience can still be incredibly fulfilling and beautiful to see you later in the birth photos although I do want to say that it was really cool that my clients husband wanted to put on gloves and inspect his babies placenta himself that was definitely a first that I have ever seen at any Birth whether in the hospital or at home here in Boca Raton South Florida!

At the end of every Birth, if everyone is willing and available, I always try to take a group birth photo of my client and her baby with her birth team.

I think this is so important to commemorate the amazing people who dedicated themselves to my client and her baby throughout the entire labor and delivery process as well as the care of the baby and postpartum!

I always try to make sure as well that I photograph as much of the newborn exam as I can because the goal is to keep the baby away from the mom for too long to skin and the baby’s heart rate and the newborn temperature as well as the mom’s milk to come in are all very sensitive things during the newborn phase at birth, so the newborn exam always goes by very quickly and so I have to be on my toes and capture it as quickly as possible.

I try to get a picture of the baby as well both pounds and grams because some families especially from outside of the United States understand babies birthweights better than in pounds

I always try to get a picture of the baby and it’s really cool when the nurses use an ink pad so that I can photograph the ink on the bottom of the babies feet but lately the nurses at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital and East Boca have been using this type of invisible Inc. that doesn’t leave any staining on the feed which I to this day.

I’m still trying to figure out how it exactly works.

In this case, the nurse kindly not only did the black ink which made for cute birth photos also agreed to put the baby’s in feet on the dad’s arm

The dad was super excited about and ran to Mom to show her

PAULINA SPLECHTA BOCA RATON AND SOUTH FLORIDA BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHER