2022 A Year in Review and Session Favorites

2022 has been a wonderful year for me personally and as a business! After two years of the pandemic, my heart and soul needed it. For me, 2021 was just about as disappointing and confusing as 2020.

After deciding to rebrand and specialize in births in 2018, I had just gotten my groove going and hit my happy place before the pandemic hit. I was blessed to have plenty of work throughout the pandemic, but I often took on more than I should have and ended 2021 completely exhausted.

After being unable to attend so many births for two years, I had come to question my future path. The frustration of not being allowed into hospital birth spaces and the often unwelcoming atmosphere when I was added stress for myself and my clients.

I’m still not back to the number of births I was booking pre-pandemic, but I have hope. Believing wholeheartedly in this work and its importance for families has kept me focused. Birth is the most life-changing moment we experience. Whether it is a joyous birth (which I hope and wish for all families) or a traumatic one documenting your birth is important. Documenting your birth can be incredibly healing for past and current traumas. In fact, studies show that families who document their births report better birth experiences.

Showing you how beautiful and strong you are, and how many beautiful layers there are to your birth story is what drives me. Many clients have shared how their images and films have helped them through postpartum depression and anxiety. They’ve shared how valuable their images and film footage are to them in being able to look back on those powerful moments.

I believe I have been called to birth work and have immensely enjoyed this new phase of that work; the role of documenting birth stories for families. I’ve been in it for 22 years (19 as a L&D nurse, and 5 of my 11 years in business as a birth photographer), and can’t imagine ever growing weary of it!

Being allowed into these sacred spaces and being trusted in them means so much to me. It is a responsibility I don’t take lightly!

Session Favorites

Without further ado, on to my favorites!

I pick a session favorite from each session I document each year. It is fun to look back on the year by picking an image from each session that has inspired or impacted me. My favorites even change throughout the year, and often choose one that reminds me of how that session and time felt. (Clients who have requested their images remain private are not included in this post).

In 2022 I was able to document 12 birth stories.

5 hospital births, 6 home births, and 1 birth center birth.

I donated two birth stories for families experiencing a loss.

mother and father emotional after birth at Southern Hills Hospital
A water birth at Serenity Birth Center in Las Vegas
dad holding new son after home birth in Las Vegas
mother holding her son after water birth with placenta in picture.
support of doula and midwife during a home birth in Las Vegas
husband supporting his wife during contractions at Nellis Air Force Base.
home birth in Las Vegas
birth at Centennial Hospital in Las Vegas
cesarean section image at Summerlin Hospital in Las Vegas.
home birth in Henderson, NV.

I documented 12 maternity sessions.

This special time in the lives of my clients is one of my favorites. It is such a special phase of life, and the anticipation always feels palpable to me. I love showing mamas how beautiful they are carrying their babies. They will have these images to share with their children as they grow. I’ve also added to my client closet for maternity sessions.

maternity session in the Las Vegas desert.
maternity session at the Valley of Fire
maternity session in black flowy dress
documenting pregnancy when their is a loss
Las Vegas maternity photographer
in-home maternity session in Las Vegas
sunset maternity session Las Vegas
Little Loo Photography maternity session
Little Loo Photography
maternity session with husband and toddler
studio maternity session Las Vegas
Las Vegas maternity photography

5 Fresh 48 sessions.

Fresh 48 sessions were often the next best option for clients who could not have me attend their hospital births. I love these early days of the newborn period and all the special little details it holds. It is such a fleeting stage of life, and for that reason, I believe it is so important!

fresh 48 session Las Vegas in home
in-home Fresh 48 session in Las Vegas
dad holding daughter during in-home fresh 48 session.
documenting the first days of the newborn period
hospital fresh 48 after a cesarean
baby stretching during fresh 48 session
mother with baby daughter in home fresh 48

17 newborn sessions.

documentary newborn session las vegas
Las Vegas in-home newborn photographer
newborn smiles during a newborn session
sisters together during newborn session in Las Vegas
newborn session including dog in Las Vegas
brother involved in a newborn session at home.
Danika holding her daughter during newborn session
newborn boy with a lot of hair newborn session Las Vegas
newborn details during photo session
in-home newborn session with peach wrap
Las Vegas newborn photographer
sweet newborn yawn during session
newborn session with blue swaddle

I photographed 9 families.

This number of family clients worked well this year. It is much less than I normally take on, but one of the areas of my business I’ve had to restrict because of the call time for birth clients. Thank you so much to all the families that have continued to trust me with their families and this time in your lives. I am so grateful to you!

For 2023, I have again limited the number of family sessions in my schedule.

I have transitioned into more lifestyle-type work when photographing families over the years. My goal is always to capture how this time in your life feels. I want to capture those silly little laughs and personalities and your loving on each other! My clients showed up this year ready to play and be fully present in their sessions and images; it was so wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

dad and daughter during family session in Las Vegas
Las Vegas family photography
dad playing with son during family session in Las Vegas
sweet image of girl smelling flower
mother kissing her mom during a family session in Las Vegas
family photographer Las Vegas
mom and her two children family photographer
Dad holding daughter during family session
mother and daughter moment Las Vegas family session.

1 couples session.

Yes, that’s my beautiful daughter and her sweet and handsome boyfriend. I don’t photograph couples anymore, but it’s a special occasion when she asks!

couples mountain session in Colorado

I told one story as part of my annual ‘The Story’ giveaway.

For the last four years, I have done a giveaway telling the story of one individual, organization, or cause. I have loved offering this and have been able to tell the most amazing stories! This is an area I also had to pull in 2023 to allow the space to manage my schedule best for myself and my clients. Amazing stories seem to find me, so I will continue to tell them on a case-by-case basis. So, if you feel inspired to tell yours, please reach out! If my schedule allows, I would love to share it.

Ashley is an amazing and beautiful human being. I have known her for many years as we worked together in labor and delivery. Her transformation story is inspiring on so many levels, and she inspires me daily. Ashely’s story is important, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Ashley's Story Las Vegas

1 headshot session.

This is another type of session I’ve pulled from my offerings. This beautiful client is my sister, so special circumstances as well!

Angela Atherley-Hernandez

1 milestone session.

I adore this type of session but have had to pull from my offerings. With such limited time and space between births, I have felt referring them out has been best for both myself and my clients. I mean, look at this guy. He was a 2020 birth I could not attend because of hospital restrictions.

in-home one year milestone session

I’ve also created a year-in-review birth film reel, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Thank you so much for trusting me with life’s most important moments and your most valuable and important people-your families! I am grateful for every one of you, and so grateful for this life and career. Thank you for believing in me and supporting my small business; there aren’t enough words!

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DOCUMENTARY BIRTH PHOTOS & FILM