Did it ever occur to you that your child turns 5 and look back at their photos and say why didn’t I take some great photos, so you try your best with your second child or try to force your 5-year-old son/daughter for an amazing family photoshoot? 😅 I was a victim to that as it never occurred to me to have a newborn photo session until I met M&J Photography as they made me realize what a great opportunity it is to cherish that memory when they eventually get older.
So without further adieu, I would like to introduce M&J Photography!
Getting to know M&J Photography
What type of photography sessions do you do?
I do Maternity/Newborn/Children & Family
How long have you been doing this service?
I finished university in 2000 and since then I always had a camera in my hand📷
For the longest time I was mostly a second shooter at weddings assisting my husband who was running the show when it came to wedding photography, we go back years when film cameras were still a thing 😂😒 Eventually I started specializing in posed newborn photography ( FYI I love this type of photography and this what I do mostly at my studio). I started my photography business here in Malta 5 years ago and yes I am learning Maltese along the way ❤😊
What made you choose this line of work in photography especially maternity and newborn?
Ever since I became a mother 11 years ago!
Now, this may sound like a cliche’ but when I started to see my daughter grow along the years, I wished that I had taken more photos of her to remember this time.
Although my whole 9-month pregnancy and the first few months of my daughter’s life were eventful, I did not get to do as many photos of her as I wished for, so therefore this triggered something in me, that is to help parents create moments with the help of photography.
I managed to capture some moments 4 days prior to giving birth, but no one can create a story as a photographer can since our studies teach us to make sure that every photo portrays an event in your life. Fortunately, we carry powerful cameras in our pockets, so we can capture those random moments, but throughout my experience looking back on previous photoshoots, I can say that every family portrayed a unique and memorable experience. Sometimes I am glad that I had the willpower to take some pregnancy photos before as it wasn’t the first time that my daughter asked me to see some of my photos when she was still in my belly🤰
You need to have the patience for this type of newborn photography, why do you do it? What drives you?
Yes, patience is the main ingredient, but also realization that babies are just like adults 👶 they have their good and bad days and we can’t get mad at them since they cannot express their own feelings yet. At the same time, we need to respect them and their own bodies too. I love babies and each baby I photograph is a unique and experience since every child has their own character 😍
What drives me is that that no matter how hectic parents lives are, sleepless nights with colic filled frenzies, parents forget all about it when showing their love and emotion during these shoots. Makes me realize how fascinating parenthood is!
What qualifications do you have in order to carry out these shoots?
I have an Honors of Bachelor of Visual arts form York University, that’s where my formal photography training happened. I started specializing in newborn photography by doing posed sessions and I gained most of my experience and safety protocols as an apprentice with a talented newborn photographer at her studio for a few months. After that, I did some other group workshops with international newborn photographers, attended conferences etc. Also, something I did outside the line of photography were classes towards becoming a doula that helped me a lot in terms of handling and taking care of babies, I also volunteered at a breastfeeding program, so I could and continue helping and aiding mothers during the newborn sessions.
What measure are you taking for COVID-19?
Prior to COVID I was already very conscious of cleanlinesses, so not too much has changed in terms of cleaning and sanitizing props. Yes of course I had to add more strict rules such as:
- Limiting the number of sessions I do throughout the day
- I am the only one allowed in the studio apart from the parents and siblings
- I am only open by appointment so I do not accept any walk-ins, only by appointments.
- Regular washing and sanitizing my hands on a continuous basis/ wearing a mask throughout the shoot/ Also removing all the shoes whoever enters the studio
- I am also responsible, as a family, we are also keeping ourselves in a bubble, so not going out with people that are not close to us.
- Being responsible and taking regular tests to make sure that I am not asymptomatic
What was the funniest or amazing thing that happened during one of your sessions?
Oh, there are so many! There is always a poop or pee story 💩, but one experience that is particularly funny and difficult to forget is that one time a mother showed up on a wrong day as she mixed the appointment from the 5th at 4 pm, but instead she came on the 4th at 5 pm 😊😅 I had nothing set up at the studio, not even the temperature in the room as it was a cold Winter day, but together step by step we made a cup of tea, warmed up the studio and the little baby was a dream to photograph ❤👶
There you have it, readers, I hope you got a better feel of what M&J have to offer and please stay tuned for my newborn photoshoot experience next week! In the meantime have a look at M&J’s Facebook page and browse around her amazing photoshoots 📷
