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!
I joined Yvette and her husband at Windmill beach in Simonstown for their mini-maternity session. Windmill is a much more secluded private beach and it didn’t disappoint as we had the place to ourselves for this shoot. Her husband was one of the most willing men I have ever had the pleasure to photograph. He decided to just have fun with this shoot, flirted with his wife and their affection was palpable. I so enjoyed working with them as a couple. They are now new parents and we captured their son’s birth story. But for now, lets look back at their last photos of just the two of them.
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.
Cornelia’s story is one that she has chosen to share with women, especially South African women, to encourage them that VBACs (Vaginal Births after Caesarian) are possible and in many cases an unexplored option. Hers was specifically a HBAC (Home Birth after Caesarian). If you missed her family maternity shoot, see it here.
As she was preparing for her birth, she shared with me a personal photo from her first birth and the look of trauma on her face. I barely recognized her. I joined her in supportive hope that this birth would be redemptive. Some c-sections are necessary and lifesaving. Some are well chosen for private reasons and I respect that implicitly. However, some are unnecessary with no choices given, often leaving wounds and deep unanswered questions. For Cornelia, she was determined that this time would be different. She researched, educated herself, and got empowered. Specifically, she took Hypnobirthing Classes with childbirth educator, Nicolette Hadden.
It was such a honour to watch her courage and her focus. While I stayed for the most part unseen, squatting down between a cupboard and the birth pool, when she lifted her son from the water, I came around and shot her face head on. I wanted her to always have that memory of her victory. The pain, the anguish, the healing, the joy and the relief all there in split seconds. Also, its the moment she discovered for herself he was a boy! Photographing gender reveals are one of my favorite moments.
Cornelia was very inspired by Tracey’s birth. And thus, I am thankful to the clients who do choose to share their stories because they help women get an idea of what birth is like, what siblings meeting is like, what a certain hospital or a home environment is like. Many thanks to Cornelia for trusting me to tell her beautiful story through stills and video. May it serve as an inspiration if you are seeking courage. Be sure to see both the video and the photos, as I have included a differing variety in each medium.
[…] Marysol dice, “estoy muy agradecido a los clientes que eligen para compartir sus historias, porque ayudan a las mujeres a obtener una idea de lo que es de nacimiento, de lo que los hermanos de la reunión, qué de un determinado hospital o en un ambiente de la casa es como” – así que cuando Cornelia puso en contacto con ella para ser su nacimiento fotógrafo para el parto en casa, ella sabía que iba a contar una historia inspiradora, como en un Parto Vaginal Después de Cesárea (PVDC), son raros en el Sur de África, el Parto en Casa Después de una Cesárea (HBAC), aún más. […]ReplyCancel
James & Alexander’s family hold a special place in my heart. I followed their journey of 7 weeks hospitalized bedrest all the way through birth, NICU, homecoming, and as newborns. If you missed that back story, stop right now, and go see. Trust me, its worth it. HERE is their birth and homecoming. HERE is their newborn session. Then come back.
If you have ever wondered what life is like with twins, here’s a peek! When their parents called me to say they were moving out of country and wanted one last session together, I just couldn’t wait to see them again. With boxes around them as they say goodbye to this country and this chapter in their lives, I spent two hours with just documenting the end of their South African journey.
This is a Day In The Life session. There’s some posing and gentle directing, but basically its me following them around and capturing what life is like right now. Only unlike selfie cell phone shots, the parents are actually in the photos and kids can look back at their interaction, that “flat we used to live in” and life in 2014. And of course, its not complete without some family portraits.
I commend their parents for surviving the first year with twins, I am sure daunting at times. There’s so much joy in their home, they have embraced the crazy wonderful that two little boys brings. Here James & Alex are 10 months old. I thought it would be fun to reflect on the before and afters, what a difference a year makes. So I’ve included some side by sides of their newborn session. Those are pretty wild.
Be sure to also catch some behind the scenes at the end of the post. Also from then & now.
Day In The Life Sessions are exclusive for my clients as I have an ongoing relationship with them. I believe it takes a certain level of trust and report to photograph a family this intimately. I so thank James & Alex’s parents for their trust and they will be missed!
Marysol …… Hi I am Katie Acheson’s Mom. I am sooo overwhelmed to see your gift. What a joy to be able to capture those special moments and be part of the families life. … I remember your name in many of her conversations. Many, many Blessings… PruReplyCancel
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Hello Pru, Thank you so much for stopping by and following. How humbling. We miss your daughter so much!ReplyCancel
Charlene Cassie
The boys are 18 months old today and seeing these pics takes me back to both these photo shoots. Thank you, Marysol, for capturing such special memories for our family! I’m so, so incredibly grateful to have these to look back at xxReplyCancel
Ready for a wild story? Cause this one is one of my craziest yet! Georgia’s mom contacted me in Cape Town from Johannesburg saying essentially “shame you aren’t in Joburg”. I wrote back something to the effect of “You aren’t the first from Johannesburg to inquire, I don’t know how it would work out but I’m up for it if you are.” The in between was many emails that eventually resulted in “lets take this risk and see what happens”. She booked me way in advance and I’m glad she did because it quickly became my busiest month ever. We had a good pre-birth consultation over skype to make sure we were both comfortable with the “what-ifs.” The plan was as soon as labour was imminent, I get on a plane. I pretty much didn’t sleep some nights just thinking about it. Then fast forward to a month before her due date, when Noah’s family contacts me also wanting a destination birth photographer to come to Johannesburg. Theirs was to be a scheduled c-section, past this other due date. This is why you can never plan births. So I’m living now with my normal gear ready to go plus an overnight bag. One morning my phone rings around 4 am. I think its Georgia’s mom. I even told my husband the night before “I feel like I will be on a plane in the morning”. Lo and behold, its Noah’s family saying waters have broken early, its go-time. It took me a good 3 minutes to make sense of which family was calling me, I was so turned around. Already a crazy turn of events. So I arrive in Johannesburg and cover their birth. I text Georgia’s mom and let her know I’m in town. I text my husband something like “wouldn’t it be funny if I just stayed and did both births while I was here.” Famous last words. As I am wrapping Noah’s birth, my gut is saying to stay. A nasty storm is rolling into town. I hate flying in those. They are now all involved in ‘what should the birth photographer do’ weighing in with their thoughts. Which was hilarious, that was the atmosphere of that birth, like a party really… with great snacks. They all think I should stay overnight. What could it hurt? I could leave in the morning if nothing is happening. I text Georgia’s mom and she’s been to her doctor (a rescheduled appointment mind you) and she’s a little bit dilated. I decide, my gut has never failed me. I’m staying. I just have this unshakable feeling. So Noah’s family drop me off with Georgia’s family. She’s having intermittent contractions, but it could be nothing. I will be spending the night in their guest cottage. I unload my memory cards from Noah’s birth, charge my batteries, recheck & clean my gear. Take a shower. Its been a long day. I’ve been traveling or shooting for 18 hours now. I get in bed, turn off the lights, feel the tiredness creep in my bones. Not 3 minutes later my phone rings. Its go-time. We walk into the hospital around midnight and Georgia is born at 5:30 am… several doors down from where I was with Noah all day. I actually went to visit Noah’s parents as I left 🙂 The hospital staff see me walk in with a totally different family and I got a chuckle out of that. By the time I got into bed mid the next day, I was pretty exhausted. Almost 2 nights missed sleep. But how incredible it all worked out. Georgia’s mom took a risk hiring me but was unwavering that somehow it would all work out. And it did. She didn’t have a birth photographer the first time around and wished she did. I would say half my clients are actually second and third time moms who tell me this. Had Noah’s family never hired me, who knows how this would have turned out. Its given me the courage to accept more destination births and journey with these families. I especially want to thank Georgia’s mom for loving my work enough to take a risk. I hope these photos of such a historic day in your life will always flood your heart with beautiful memories. It was epic!
Enjoy the birth of Georgia and when you are done, be sure to see her newborn session that we squeezed in the next day before my flight.
These are the photos this family chose to share. As always, I only share whatever that family is comfortable sharing or nothing at all.
Marysol, we cannot thank you enough for saying yes, and for taking time away from your babies and your family to be with ours. We are forever grateful to you for giving us the opportunity of being able to revisit the day we met our little girl. Thank you.
What you are about to see is the story of a miracle baby. Mom was on bedrest for much of her pregnancy and faced continual obstacles to bring Noah to term. Hers was a scheduled c-section that we had all perfectly planned out for me to fly into Joburg (from Cape Town) the night before. We still had a week to go when around 4 am I got the call that her water broke. I have never gotten on a flight so fast. I was in the air by 6:30 I believe. While I arrived there in record time, I did miss his moment of birth but not by much. So I spent the day with them documenting all these beautiful moments. We felt like old friends. Even without being present in theater, you can see this is about the birth day and all the memories it holds. A few of the shot in theater were from Dad’s phone.
Noah’s parents were given my services as a gift. Incredible, right?!? Did you know you can hire me for a friend or a group can pitch in together and give it as a gift? Talk about a unique gift not to be forgotten. In either Cape Town or Johannesburg, contact me for availability.
Birth Story shared with family permission as is modest/family friendly, as always. Noah’s father had this to say: “It’s unbelievable. Thank you so much for everything. It’s what we expected and so much more.” And his mother:
We would just like to once again say a heart felt thank you for capturing the most important day in our lives. We so often watch Noah’s slideshow, and each time it evokes overwhelming emotion in us. It was such a pleasure having you there. It truly felt like you where a life long friend that had joined us to share in the occasion. When we first received the photos, I caught myself thinking “why is Marysol not in any of the pictures”, and then I remembered… Thank you for all the personal touches you truly make us feel special over and over.
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