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Birth Photography: Angelena + Lyle — Welcome to the World, Rocco….

October 12, 2011

I’m Catherine.
A New Orleans based wedding photographer and educator. We are excited you are here and cannot wait to connect with you!.
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On Friday afternoon, Lyle of Brocato Photojournalism called to discuss the upcoming wedding I would be shooting with him the following day.  It was my second time filling in for his wife Angelena as her delivery date continued to progress…and as of Friday, the possibility for delivery was any day, any minute. At the end of the conversation, Lyle asked if I would be interested in photographing the birth of their first baby. Although I had never done this before and was not sure what to anticipate as I have no children of my own, I explained to him how honored I would be to shoot for them and that I would do my very best to document the delivery as it unfolded.

On Saturday evening, when I was leaving the wedding, we said our goodbyes and agreed that we hoped to see each other early the following week for the delivery! 🙂 Like all things, God has a plan of his own, and the delivery was already in the works.

12:30 AM Sunday, October 10, 2011: My phone rang. It was Calyn, Angelena’s sister letting me know that Angelena and Lyle were on their way to Lafayette for the delivery. I jumped in my car, makeup-less and sped from Morgan City (as I was visiting my parents) to Lafayette for a night and an experience I will never forget.

When I walked into the room, it was the first time I’d met Angelena. She sat up in bed and greeted me with a smile. It was the start of a very long, and intense night for her and she was mentally preparing for what was to come. Below is documentation of the labor itself from approximately 1:30 AM to 1:30 PM. The majority of these images were taken during the natural portion of their delivery.

On Sunday afternoon, I left for Baton Rouge to photograph the wedding of two of my closest friends and so I was unable to photograph the moment when he arrived. The images below are the moments leading up to the pushing and are also of Angelena + Lyle the following afternoon as they enjoyed their new gift of life.

Angelena’s labor lasted a total of 17 hours with the baby finally being delivered at 5:29 PM. Named Rocco Marion Simon Brocato and weighing in at 8lb 15 oz….all 21 1/2 inches of him were pure perfection.

Lyle + Angelena,

To have you ask for me to share in such an intimate and special moment for the two of you means so much to me. I hope that you will forever remember the beauty of this through these photos. And although the images speak louder than I can say in regards to your relationship, your love, and your ability to work as a team, being there really blew me away. The respect and the love the two of you have for each other is outstanding….and something to be admired.

I am so SO so happy for the two of you!!! Rocco is absolutely beautiful and maybe, just maybe…one day, I’ll work up the courage to hold him. 🙂 Enjoy this time with him and thank you again.

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  1. Calyn Swords says:

    Catherine,
    The pictures are wonderful. You captured it all perfectly. I am so happy you were able to be a part of this experience and to document it in a way that brings the emotion through the pictures. It was a pleasure working with you Saturday and to have you a part of this wonderful blessing of ours.

    -Calyn 🙂

  2. The picture of the 3 hands, and the very last pic, are just amazing. Each photo is really beautiful ~ you should be so proud! You did an amazing job!

  3. Laurie says:

    Wow, the way you captured so many intense emotions is beautiful. From the pain to the unimaginable joy. Very moving.

  4. Congratulations guys! We had the pleasure of working together a while back. I am due in Jan. I love all the photos..what a great treasure Catherine created for you. Enjoy your little one ~ Melanie w/ Blink Video

  5. Gretchen says:

    Beautiful Cat!

  6. Randi says:

    These images brought tears to my eyes. How blessed they are to have had you to document such a precious time in their lives. The way that Lyle loves and cares for Angelena is so rare and beautiful to see. Congratulations to the new family! What an amazing gift for all of you! XoXo

  7. Loretta Brocato says:

    Thanks for being there with us and capturing the special moments of our 8th grandbaby and #18 in our very, very wonderful family! I’m happy you were able to reflect the special commitment and love Lyle and Angie have for one another. Rocco is a blessed baby! I’m also proud of the support my bunch give to each other because everyone was at the hospital awaiting the big arrival. I can’t wait for Rocco to experience the joy and craziness of our family gatherings.

  8. […] In October of 2011, I blogged one of the most beautiful events I’ve ever photographed. After having spent the years before photographing weddings, the opportunity to photograph my first birth was a huge moment. The emotion in the room and the love shared that day was something to be documented.  It was the birth of Rocco. […]

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