Capturing the Special Moments Between Moms and Babies
I’m a professional newborn and family photographer, and wildlife photography has long been a passion of mine as well. My wildlife work has won awards and been featured commercially, but whether I’m photographing a newborn baby or a mountain goat kid, the images I love most are almost always the interactions between moms and their babies.
Of course, I take the classic portraits too. The ones where everyone is looking at the camera are important. They’re often the photographs that end up on holiday cards, framed for grandparents, or shared with family and friends. But the photographs I find myself loving most are usually the moments in between...
A mother looking down at her newborn.
A baby relaxing against her chest.
A tiny newborn hand wrapped around a parent’s finger.
A baby curiously looking into my lens.
A laugh, a nuzzle, a quiet moment when everyone seems to forget that I’m there.
Wildlife photography has taught me to watch for these moments. When I photograph animals, I can’t direct what happens. Recently, I found myself photographing mountain goats in Glacier National Park. I can’t ask a mountain goat to nuzzle her kid or tell them to move into better light. I have to watch, wait, and be ready when the connection happens. And I love those connection moments between the mountain goat nanny and her kid even more than I love the classic portraits of them. In my photos above, taken recently at Glacier in Montana, the mother goat nuzzles her baby, whereas in the second photo both are looking into the camera - the classic portrait or "cheese" shot. I love both photos, but the first tells a story, which I treasure more as it makes you feel the connection.
I bring that same instinct to my newborn photography. During my in-home newborn photography sessions in Los Gatos, San Jose, and throughout the South Bay, I’ll gently guide families as needed and make sure we capture those classic portraits. But I’m also constantly watching for the unscripted moments—the expressions, touches, and interactions that tell the story of what loving this brand-new little person actually felt like.
That’s one of the reasons I love photographing newborns at home. Families can settle into their own environment, and there’s room for real life to unfold. We can pause for feeding, soothing, diaper changes, sibling breaks, or simply a few extra minutes of cuddling. Years from now, I want families to have the beautiful portrait where everyone is looking at the camera. But I also want them to have the photograph that makes them remember exactly how it felt to hold their baby when they were this small. Because whether I’m photographing a mountain goat and her kid or a mother holding her newborn at home, it’s the connection I’m waiting for.
If you’re looking for an in-home newborn photographer in Los Gatos, San Jose, or the South Bay, I’d love to document both the portraits—and the moments in between.
testimonials
“Cindy was wonderful to work with - we are obsessed with the pictures she took of our family and would absolutely work with her again. She was also lightning fast turning around our gallery.” -H.H.
“We hired Cindy after our 2nd was born, and she luckily had availability for an in home newborn photoshoot. All of her info, tips, and intake forms were very easily accessible and easy to follow. She made us feel very comfortable. It was a plus that we didn’t need to do any cleaning beforehand but somehow our house looks spotless in the final photos. We love the final product and would recommend Cindy for a newborn photoshoot!!” -D.F.
“Cindy captured so many lovely moments, ones that we will cherish forever. We can’t help but smile when looking at our gallery…and have always felt the best photographers are able to do this because their photos do such a great job at capturing the emotion embedded in the moment!” -M.S.
