The Start of my journey to Motherhood Photography

19th August 2020 – It’s World Photography Day and I thought what a better day for sharing a little bit about my journey into motherhood photography.

I specialise in Maternity and Newborn Photography so motherhood photography embraces them all.

I always loved taking and looking at photographs. When I was little, my dad enjoyed photography, he had quite a good camera and he took slide films. Then it was an experience sitting down and projecting the photos on a big screen. A lot of the very old photos are actually still in slides and then we have lots of shoeboxes with prints and albums.

That’s the part I like when I go to visit my parents in Italy: I like going through some old memories.

I fast forward a bit otherwise I get boring . . .

In 2005 I went to Africa, Malawi to be precise, one of the poorest countries in the world and lived a few weeks in a mission. ⁠
That was an 𝙚𝙮𝙚-𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 and I documented that journey through a diary and photography. I was excited to wake up early every morning and meet people, playing with children and helping somehow. I was going to bed with a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction, yet some sadness was always in my soul as I couldn’t help but think about those poor children.

Photography had the ability to capture the place and the experience I was living and that moment in my life. ⁠

For this reason, it’s said that 𝙖 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨.

Photographs can convey a feeling faster, and sometimes even more effectively than words can. A photograph can make the viewer see the world the way the photographer sees it. ⁠

The children were getting crazy for the photos. ⁠
They would ask me to take photos of them and they used to laugh so loud when I showed them the back of the camera. The children were surprised of course of seeing themselves, it was something new for them but then they commented and looked at each other and laughed again. They were definitely seeing their friends with different eyes. It was really a blast for all of us!

I loved capturing that happiness in children, ⁠
It made me happy too.⁠ Yes, that’s me when I hold a camera!

black and white portrait of Valentina, newborn and maternity photographer in London


And then I was drawn to the mothers.

African mothers are very hard workers and they are always carrying their baby with them with a smile on their face. They used to love looking at their photos as well.

I was 24 at the time and I fell in love with motherhood photography not knowing yet that some years later that would become my job. ⁠My dream job!


And this job makes me happy!

series of motherhood images. Portraits of African mothers
series of motherhood images: African mothers with child

These photos are quite old and they were taken with my compact digital camera, so the quality unfortunately is not the best. But to me they are still quite precious as they remind me of the great experience I had and the mark the beginning of my photography journey.

If you want to see my recent work head to my website or my Instagram page.

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This is part of Reflections Beyond the Frame, a personal series about slowing down, looking inward, and seeing ourselves without the need for polish or perfection.

Today’s reflection: Letting go.

Perfection has held me back for years, since school, in motherhood, and through the slow unfolding of my business.

I thought striving for it meant reaching for something better. But lately, I’ve been asking: what is perfection, really?

It’s not real.
It’s not shared.
It only exists in my mind—and even there, it shifts constantly.
It often disguises itself as fear:
Fear of not being good enough.
Fear of being judged.
Fear of being truly seen.

So if perfection is born from fear…
What are we really striving for?

What looks “perfect” to me might mean nothing to someone else.

So why chase something that holds me back more than it helps me move forward?

This photo is part of that question.
A self-portrait.
An exercise in showing up blurry, unfinished, imperfect—real.
Letting go isn’t always graceful.
Sometimes it’s quiet.
A small shift.
A decision to be soft where I used to hold tension.
To show up as I am.
To be seen anyway.

Progression is now my mantra.

Not perfection. Just movement. Just honesty.
Just me.

What have you been holding onto that no longer serves you? Maybe today’s the day to let it go.

#reflectionsbeyondtheframe #LettingGoOfPerfection #progressnotperfection #selfportrait #photographyashealing #CreativeProcess #SlowContent #ImperfectlyHuman
Post-pregnancy body changes are real and it’s okay if you’re not feeling like yourself right away.

Your body has done something incredible. It’s carried life, endured change, and deserves so much more than criticism. It deserves care. Patience. Kindness.

The stretch marks. The softness. The shifts in shape. They’re not flaws, they’re part of your story.

Let this be your reminder:
You don’t need to bounce back.
You don’t need to be “done” healing.
You just need to meet yourself with compassion.
Tag a fellow mum who might need to hear this today. 🤍

#postpartumbody #realmotherhood #motherhoodphotography #empoweredmotherhood #bodyafterbaby #bekindtoyou #londonphotographer
Friday mood:
Joy for no reason.
Giggles on demand.
Wearing your best neutral and letting the light hit just right.
Basically… life goals. 😍
How’s your Friday going?

#fridaymood #babyvibes #lifegoal  #londonbabyphotographer
Did you know I’ve been working on a book?

Maybe if you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve seen me share a few bits here and there when I first started it. But I feel like I need to start again and give you the full picture.

I had a really hard time when I was breastfeeding my daughter. For a long time, I thought I was the only one who found it hard. The only one carrying that weight of doubt, guilt, and shame.
But I wasn’t. And neither are you.

At some point, I found myself asking: Why don’t we talk about breastfeeding honestly?
The challenges. The struggles. The pain. The real talk, you know?

This project was born from my own experience and from the stories of so many incredible women who shared their journeys with me. It’s about bringing more awareness, about making sure no mother feels alone in this, and about breaking the silence that so often leaves us blaming ourselves.

Because every journey is different. And every story deserves to be told.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more about this project that means so much to me, the one I’ve truly put my heart into.

I’d love for you to follow along. 

#breastfeedingjourney #honestmotherhood #breastfeedingmoments #breastfeedingawareness #storytellingthroughphotography #breastfeedingjourney

VALE@PHOTOGRAPHYBYVALENTINA.COM

07577 978246

LONDON NEWBORN & MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER

BASED NEAR RICHMOND - TWICKENHAM