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A 20-Minute Sunrise Maternity Session, One Hour Before Birth.
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Some sessions are planned for months. This one came together in a single conversation, on a walk, with a due date already circled on the calendar.
I met Shani almost by accident, just on a sSunday walk checking the surf. I saw her walking by and I thought... she's gorgeous and because I was scouting for a clothing brand shoot and stopped to chat with her — she had that effortless, glowing energy you can't fake, and I asked if she'd be up for some photos. That's when she told me: she was booked in for a caesarean in two days.
Most people would have said "next time." Shani said yes.
The day before her caesarean, the weather wasn't playing along. Grey skies, flat light, nothing like the golden water I usually chase. But Shani looked at it and decided it was a sign, not a setback — this was happening, weather or not. We booked her underwater maternity session for that afternoon, and she loved it so much that she wasn't ready to stop there.
So on the morning of her surgery — the very day she'd meet her baby — we met at Fingal at first light. 6am. Sunrise at 6:20. She had to be at Tweed Hospital within the hour, which meant we had one shot, no re-shoots, no waiting for better light. Just her, the water, and about 25 minutes before she needed to be in a hospital gown instead of on the sand.
We moved fast. She was calm. The sky did exactly what we needed it to do, right on cue, like it knew too.
By 6:45 she was in the car, heading to Tweed Hospital to meet her baby.
This is exactly why I love this work. It's not just about the final gallery — it's about showing up for the moments that matter to her, even when they don't fit neatly into a schedule. Shani didn't need perfect conditions or a full session. She needed someone to say "let's make it happen," and to mean it.
Sometimes the best photos come from the sessions that almost didn't happen.
With Love,
Always.
Marina
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