I was delighted when R phoned me to schedule her second maternity photoshoot.  I had the pleasure of taking photos of her first pregnancy and so we have formed a bond.  The challenge lies in making each pregnancy photoshoot unique in it’s own way.  The funniest thing was her little boy

is now a year old and he was crawling all over the studio eating Flings and biscuits.  Having photos taken while you are pregnant is something very special that you can share with your child later on.  If you have a stretchmark or two I have a magic wand in photoshop which you will just

love.  Every shoot is done in the privacy of our studio or your own home and we take extra care to make you feel at ease.  The best time to come for your pregnancy photos is between 35-38 weeks.  By then your tummy is round and full which will make your photos even more beautiful.

Why not make an outing of it, go to the salon and have your nails and hair done.  This will make you feel super confident and it will definitely show in your photos.

Riani

We are always telling you about our photography from our viewpoint, and I thought I’d share our unique photography experience from our satisfied client’s view…

Have you seen what beautiful works of art pregnancy photos are being turned into these days…?  Have you found yourself looking at someone else’s maternity pictures that is stunning and thought that you would love to have photos like these but you are sure you don’t look that good? Secretly you are slightly intimidated at the prospect of havning a complete stranger look at and take photos of your growing belly.  A felt exactly the same way and this is what she thought of the whole exciting experience:”

I’d never thought of doing pregnancy photos until I came across Louise’s website. The thought of having a complete stranger take photos of my naked belly was just too daunting for me. Against my better judgment I decided to do the photoshoot anyway. I was met by Riani at the gate, whom I think could sense my hesitation and made me feel soo comfortable with myself, my growing belly and the entire experience. My husband was even more anxious than I was, but Riani really capture the essence of who we are & the transformation that was taking place in our lives.I look at the photos now & feel proud to have gone through this experience as Riani capture the essence of my pregnancy. I would strongly recommend that every couple that is expecting to do this not only for themselves but for their children to appreciate in the years to come.”

Are you the proud mother of a very busy little boy (or girl for that matter)  Then you know exactly how hard it is to try and go anywhere with your kids and keep them on their best behaviour.  Don’t worry about it, we have worked with and photographed almost every kind of child you can imagine…  Bouncing all over the studio and being very shy all included.  M has 3 little boys (aged 5 and 5 and 18 months) and this is what she thinks of her pics:”

I take my hat off to Riani on how she handled our boys during the shoot!  She took the most amazing photos, even though our boys were all over the place.  My husband and I would recommend Louise Diesel Photography to anyone.    There quality of service is superb and we all had such a good time!  Thank you Louise and Riani!

Every girl dreams of meeting her dream man and riding into the sunset…  So once you’ve met that special someone and gotten engaged you simply cannot wait to get started on planning your wedding?  Isn’t it so?  But as soon as this early excitement wears off you realize exactly just how muchhow much detailed planning you have to do…  At the end of the day no-one will remember what table decorations you had at your wedding (even though it took you a week to decide and source all the items  on the centerpiece)  This is exactly why it is essential to find a good wedding photographer with whom you feel comfortable with and will be comfortable having them capture every moment and details of your special day.  C and S sent us this lovely testimonial:”

Your wedding is one of the most important days in your life, and there are so many details to worry about to make your day perfect.But thanks to Louise & Riani, my wedding photo’s were one less thing to worry about as they took care of it all. They are so professional and caring, and helped make every moment of my special day come to life! The variety of photographs was amazing and choosing for my album was the hardest part as all the photo’s were stunning.The album turned out to be even more beautiful than I had expected and I am so grateful to Louise Diesel photography for leaving me with the most beautiful, cherished moments of my wedding day! ”

Riani

“The most important thing she’d learned over the years was that there was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.”
– Jill Churchill

“If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of god, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby, when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on it’s cradle.”
- Vincent Van Gogh

“A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years, and in your heart ’til the day you die.” -unknown

Riani

What is is about a pregnant woman that just attracts other people.  Random people just smile at you through the crowd and others come over and talk about the miracle of your pregnancy and wants to know the story (how many weeks left? / boy or girl etc?)

I think it’s because these special women are carrying a tiny miracle underneath their heart and they have started something so big that no words could ever describe the way they will always feel about their children.  I once read a quote and it said:”  The decision to have a child is momentous, it is to decide to have your heart walk outside of your body for eternity…”  For me this pretty much says it all.

We specialise in capturing the precious bond shared between you and your hubby and now your unborn child as well.  These are precious moments in time which we will preserve and capture creatively.  All pregnant women are extremeyl beautiful, and even if you have picked 3-4 kilos during pregancy and you don’t feel particularly pretty, make the conscious decision to still come for you professional pregnancy photoshoot.

Use this opportunity to treat yourself a little, go for a manicure and have your hair and make-up done, you will feel like a million dollars and it will definitely come through in your photos (trust me   )  Palesa and Lebo came through to our photographic studio in Johannesburg last week to have some professional pregnancy photos taken.  We have had this shoot organised like more than a month back.

Palesa wanted her stomach nice and round to feature in her maternity photos.  You can see she is very petite so she doesn’t carry that big but she decided that now is the right time   Lebo is absolutely in love with his wife  (little bit self conscious in the beginning but we soon had him laughing and posing along)  I love to watch the way “parents to be” are excited and nervous about their new arrival.  You can clearly see it in their eyes… truly magical.

I’ve often asked myself how can you love someone you have never met with all your heart, I guess that is just one of the great miracles of parenthood.  Palesa and Lebo all the best for you with the new little one, I can’t wait to finally meet him

Riani

I received a call form Kelly on Friday asking me if we had any openings on Saturday as she needed to have maternity photos taken ASAP.  Her doctor had told her that they might have to do a caesarean this week Wednesday but that he couldn’t say for sure.  So she decided rather safe than sorry and booked her professional photoshoot with us for the following day.  I have to tell you that they are such a cute couple and despite having to overcome the fact that his family is very Afrikaans and he married an “English girl” their love for each other shines through…

When I asked them if they were excited about baby arriving I remember Frans saying that he can’t wait for Kelly not to be pregnant anymore…   They are not quite sure what they are going to name the little guy yet but somehow little angels always seem to get the perfect name one way or the other. 

It was lovely to photograph a couple who was willing to try most things on terms of posing and outfits.  Kelly even brought some gorgeous shirts with for her pics.  It just makes your shoot so much more personal don’t you think?

Kelly has such a beautiful pregnant tummy, no stretch marks not even that little line running down the centre over her navel.  She has been having a lot of heartburn though which according to the rukle of thumb means that their little one will be born with a lot of hair We had so much fun in the studio, laughing, photographing and connecting…  I can’t wait to see what the little guy looks like!  Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy!!

Riani

The miracle of pregnancy never ceases to amaze me…  I meet with pregnant women all the time to photograph their evergrowing tummies and everyone is beautiful in their own way There is just something about them which I can’t put into words.  I don’t really think guys neccesarily feel the same about it but then they are men and we appreciate them for all the other things they are.  My mother once told me that when she was pregnant with one of the four of her children, she used to climb into the bath and put some water in her belly button,  then she talked to the unborn baby who would start kicking and splash the water out of her belly button.I mean how amazing is that?!  I remember when my sister in law was pregnant with the twins they used to kick her “under the ribs” and then she would come to my room where I was fiddling with the guitar and they would just relax, probably listening to the music.  I like to believe that the swell of your tummy is the promise of a new life and tons of potential   I once read :”The decision to have a child is enormous, it is to decide to have your heart walk outside of your body for the rest of your life” 

Riani

Being pregnant is something which at the end you wish was over and when baby’s born you sometimes wish they were still in your tummy.  Once your little one is born it feels like your whole life and your day revolves around them.  Pregnancy is a very special time in your life, you are growing new life which is just such a complex process which your not really even aware of except that your belly is growing. Cells are dividing chich allows human beings to be the amazing creatures they are.Pregnant women are exceptionally beautiful and I love the way their expressions soften when they talk about their unborn children.  And even though you can see that they’re really uncomfortable with this big belly which they now have to carry around, you get the feeling that they really don’t mind as long as their little one is perfect.I feel honoured every time I get commissioned to photograph someone’s pregnancy.  I love to share in this experience and to portray the special bond the awaiting parents share

Riani