I’m Marysol. South Africa’s first specialised birth photographer & videographer. I am an on-call birth storyteller using stills and video in an emotive, powerful style, tailored to your family. Just landed here? START HERE. Let’s capture your baby's birth story!
Elzari and her husband are thrilled to welcome their first child very soon! We met up at Cape Town’s iconic and historic Bo Kaap area for some colourful pop maternity images. Love the rough textures, bold colours and awesome lines in this shoot. Mini-maternity sessions are offered complimentary with all my birth packages. Its 30 minutes, one location, one outfit and 15 gorgeous images for you to treasure long after you are done being pregnant. Since they never really got an engagement session, they upgraded their session to an extra hour to give us more time to get more images and stroll through some of their favorite Cape Town spots. Be sure to scroll all the way through at the end of this post a behind the scenes image of me going to great heights… literally, to achieve beautiful unique images. Thanks to Stephanie for her assistance on this session.
This couple struck me for their gracious, kind nature. The love they are bringing their son into is a gift to his life, even before he is born.
Today Finn turns one year old. Let’s look back at his actual birth day. All the images you are seeing here happened in the span of 24 hours! Finn’s parents emailed me to ask if I had space for a last minute birth. As Murphey’s Law would have it, the next morning they call to say her water broke but she wasn’t yet in active labour. Could I still come and try to squeeze in some maternity images sooner rather than later? I reshuffled my day (its the life of a birth photographer) and made it out there right away.
I joined them at home and instantly felt such a warmth from mom. She’s a dear soul who has swam in the freezing cold ocean right by her home every day of this pregnancy! Perspective for you, I have lived here for almost 7 years and have NEVER swam there a day in my life.
Be sure not to miss the family’s reactions to meeting Finn in the morning. They will make your heart skip a beat. This little boy will always have these images of how emotional everyone was that he was born.
Finn’s dad had this to say “My parents asked if I took any photos. I told them I never had to pick up my camera because you were there. Even though I am a photographer. Yours was such a great service and allowed me to know we had all these moments captured while I didn’t have to worry about it.”
Thank you so much to Finn’s parents for trusting me to chronicle this wild ride for them. Many of their photos we have kept private, but these are a few select images they have graciously allowed me to share. Enjoy Finn’s birth story. Be sure not to miss his current photo that his parents sent me at the end of the post and see what a difference that first year makes. What a handsome little man.
Last month I missed my first natural birth, no one even realized she was in active labour (went in for an induction) and I walked in the door with her son on her chest! So-Very-Fast. A first in over 6 years doing this, I was so bummed. I pride myself in being a birth storyteller, not just photographer and wove together for them their birth story. I hope to perhaps one day show you their video. But until then, with permission, I’m sharing this mom’s beautiful testimonial and a photo of the first time dad holds his son. The emotion is palpable. THIS is why birth photography is so important, note the perspective it helped give her. I cried reading this:
“Words fail me…..so I am going to try. Thank you SO much for telling our story so beautifully. Over the last few weeks I have been telling his birth story and the story/events surrounding over and over. More and more I have been realising how much of the whole process is a bit of a blur. At times I have felt sad and despondent that I was not more aware of what was actually happening…in a way as if I didn’t fully realize the enormity of the moment or emotion of it, and that there are big chunks of my labour that I can’t even remember (pethidine to thank for that!! Haha). Watching the video and looking through the photos absolutely “restored” (for lack of a better word) that for me – even though you didn’t actually catch the before part on camera, it is woven into the story so well. I have also been thinking about what the whole process was like for my husband (poor guys – the focus is really mostly on us), and your photos have such a special way of showing things from his perspective as well. That means so much to both of us. You probably hear this so many times, but thank you for the surprises – the photos that we didn’t even realize you were taking or the moments you captured that we were unaware of. You truly are an artist and so talented at what you do.- heck I believe that what you do is actually a ministry…Thank you for blessing us and for being part of our team. I know our paths will cross again….. With love and great appreciation from all three of us.”
There are few moments in life that are this indescribable. Relief, joy, anticipation, a gratitude so deep it almost stings… Sion’s life is a complete miracle. Just watch his parents and his grandparents faces. Its all there. Best of all, for HIM to see one day. Imagine being able to look back on this 20-30 years from now?
I will never forget sitting down with Chanel (his mom) for our pre-booking consult and her sharing the long painful journey that it was getting to this point. They have lost again and again, they have wept, they have grieved, they have prayed, they have faced the uncertainty of never having children. It’s really not just the birth day, its all the emotions leading up to it that matter. And her she was pregnant with this miracle baby and determined that if her day ever came, she would have the photos to remember it by. Her email said exactly “For the past two years I have been crying my eyes out on your photo post and video post, and I said to my husband the day when know everything is ok and we have a successful pregnancy I want to book you.” How humbling! No two birth stories are alike and I wanted to be sure to do theirs justice.
How their birth unfolded and the weekend that awaited them no one could have foreknown. Be sure to see their full video story to understand what an emotional roller coaster they were on that weekend, and what a rich heritage Sion was born into. I’ve included many more still images than in the video (even then, not all of them are shared).
I want to thank Sion’s parents for hiring me and trusting me during one of the most emotionally vulnerable times in their lives. My hope is that every birthday these photos and video will cause your hearts to worship and bring you to fall in love with your son all over again.
They share their story to bring encouragement and hope. All images shared with 100% family permission. See their maternity session here.
Many thanks to Mediclinic Durbanville and her doctor for allowing me to be the first professional birth photographer to work in their hospital.
[…] is beaming. Her family is growing with a little girl on her way soon. If you missed her her son, Sion’s, birth story… you need to go cry your eyes out and watch. Its the right thing to do. Here’s a look […]ReplyCancel
[…] may remember this family! Grace’s big brother Sion’s birth is here and his christening. I just love binging out to birth stories, don’t you? My dearest thank […]ReplyCancel
Chanel and her husband joined me at Signal Hill just as the sun was setting for their complimentary mini-maternity session. This being a popular sundowner spot, we had to find some space away from the curious crowds. Their excitement for their son coming was palpable. I love some of these shots into the sun with nature around her, they almost look from a time long ago. They are now new parents and we captured their son’s birth story. It was an emotionally charged life event for them that you don’t want to miss. But for now, lets look back at their last photos of just the two of them expecting this incredible miracle.
Mini-maternity sessions are offered complimentary with all my birth packages. Its 30 minutes, one location, one outfit and 15 gorgeous high quality images for you to treasure long after you are done being pregnant. I shoot fast, and purposefully keep it painlessly quick for the men. You will be amazed the caliber of beautiful photos we can get in a short amount of time, just in time to go home and put your feet up. Here’s the stunning Chanel:
[…] go cry your eyes out and watch. It’s the right thing to do. Here’s a look back at their maternity session with him and his baptism. I love walking a long road with my […]ReplyCancel
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg)
