Some photo sessions stay with me forever—and this one? It definitely makes the list.
It was a Sunday morning at Baha Mar. A few days earlier, Piorouz had reached out, full of energy and excitement about doing a babymoon shoot with his wife. He specifically asked for flamingos to be part of the session, and I thought, “Alright, this guy’s serious about this vision.”
Now, full disclosure—I had never worked with live animals before. I always figured it would be impossible to get them to cooperate. But then his wife showed up in a flowing pink dress, he wore a matching coral shirt, and suddenly it all clicked: they’re having a girl. The flamingos weren’t just a fun add-on—they were a perfect part of the story.
I’m always excited to meet new people, and it really means the world to me when couples trust me to help create moments this personal. We started off in the flamingo habitat, navigating a few curious stares from our feathered friends. It was a little tricky, but worth every second. The flamingos showed off just enough for us to get what we needed.
After that, we moved down to the beach for the second half of the shoot. Now, here’s the honest truth: the shots were starting to feel… a little too polished, a little too posed. (And yeah, I think I did spell “mundane” right.)
That’s when Tonya—my grip, my right hand, the person I always trust on shoots—looked at me and said, “What if we get them in the water?” Or maybe it was my idea, I honestly don’t remember. But either way, we asked the couple, and they didn’t even blink. “Let’s do it,” they said.
And man, it worked. The session turned into something magical—barefoot in the sea, laughing, cradling the baby bump, creating not just photos but memories.
But the story doesn’t end there.
A few weeks after the shoot, Piorouz messaged me in a panic—he had lost access to his images. Gone. Just like that. My heart sank for him. But then I remembered: I had everything backed up. Every. Single. Shot. He got them all back, and the relief in his voice when he called… that’s the kind of moment you don’t forget either.
This shoot started with flamingos and ended in the ocean, but the real beauty was in their connection—and the trust they gave me to capture it all.
