In honor of this being my first blog ever, I wanted to do something special, personal, and real; as I strongly believe your business should be a reflection of who you are and have a purpose to be fulfilled. I decided to do it in march, a month that has a very special meaning in my life and a footprint in my heart.
My journey began as a young woman that immigrated to Canada five months pregnant, filled with dreams and eager to start a new family. However, the day I arrived to Calgary my life changed in a blink of an eye, when I went to the washroom and noticed that my water had broken. My husband had to take me to the hospital the next morning, I was scared, as I knew it meant that I could lose my child; a baby boy that I had gotten to know while he was growing inside of me for the past five months. My husband and I had already given him a name -Juan David. That day the doctor told us that I had lost most of the amniotic fluid in the womb and that I could go into labor any time and also it was such a big risk for both of us because I could get an infection and we could both die….
Imagine how I felt being in a new country, different language and no family; just my husband and I waiting for a miracle to happen.
Three weeks later, Juan D was born, but unfortunately he passed away during labor. It was one of the toughest days in my life.
I was able to hold him and say good bye, my little boy that was perfect in my eyes. I was so numbed that only later that night when I got up to go for a walk, I stood still on the bedroom door in the hospital and fell into tears as I hugged my husband; letting all the pain to come out. I had lost my first child….
Moving forward, three years later the exact same moth I gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy- Simon. Neither pregnancy was planned, but having my second child on the same month as I lost my first boy was just a beautiful way for God to say he didn’t forget about me wanting to be a mom. A year later in June I had my little princess Isabella to complete our family.
With the birth of my kids, my passion for photos began; as I wanted to capture every moment of my kids’ life. Photos became more than just a picture, it became a way to freeze a moment in time and keep that memory alive. I became the mom who would carry a small camera in her purse all the time.
Years later it was time for my kids to start school and I needed to do something with my life. I wanted to go back to work, but it meant that I would have to sacrifice time with my kids, so instead my husband persuaded me to go back to school and study something I loved even just as a hobby. I enrolled in University and took courses to learn about photography and how to use my semi professional camera; but the more I learned the more I fell in love with photography and I realized that I wanted more. As a result, I ended up signing up for a full photography program to become a professional photographer.
At the beginning I thought I wanted to be a fashion photographer, I wanted to combine two things I love and what a perfect match I thought. However, it’s not always what you think that ends up being the path you take. I had the opportunity to do my first maternity and newborn session three years ago and it just felt right in my heart. I didn’t know why at the time, but I knew that newborn photography was very appealing to consider it as my job. Then I had my second newborn session and something inspired me and clicked in my heart, I wanted to be able to keep my son’s spirit alive and to fill that empty space in my heart. I had found not just my passion, I found my path, and I knew right then that this was the direction I wanted to take as a photographer.
So I went and got the training necessary and became a newborn photographer. I have fallen so much in love with this field, each baby and family that I have photographed that I can’t be more grateful for what my life has come to be. I have a different meaning for what I want and where I want to be. Sometimes it takes longer to find your path and to be able to pursue it, is just a blessing that can’t be taken for granted.
That’s why last year I realized that I needed to give back to others, that I wanted to show my appreciation for all my blessings, so I gave a photo shoot to a couple of families that had a very premature baby in march and survived; this was a special gift from me to celebrate their child’s life and to keep my little son’s memory alive. It felt so good to give to others that it has given me a purpose as a business and as a person. I believe is not just a job, it has become my way to make something beautiful from something so painful in my life. For this reason, every march I will give away two sessions to families that had to go through the heartache of having a baby under thirty weeks and can say that all the struggles paid off, as they have a healthy baby.
This journey has shown me that you can take a dark moment in your life and transform it in to something bigger and meaningful.
I lost my beloved son, but he gave me the most beautiful gift, he showed me how to use my craft and passion with a purpose. My son became my most precious memory, in every baby I photograph.