Samantha I've photographed for years. Her wedding, then maternity, then the older girls, and now Elva.


This one was in the studio. Dark walls, one window, the light doing all the work. It's the quieter end of what I do, and it goes to black and white as often as not.


We started against the wall, Elva up on her hip, both of them just settling into it. Then the room loosened. Elva got lifted over her head, and the face Samantha pulled doing it is one of my favourites of the day. Nobody arranges that.


The green dress carried the colour. Then the feed, which is the part I wait for, because it's where she stops thinking about the camera and the baby stops thinking about anything at all.


The last stretch is the warm one. Wrapped up close, skin and blanket, Elva's hand on her chest. That's where the strongest frames live, every time. Not because of anything I do, but because by then there's nothing left to perform.


Elva's the third daughter. She won't be this size again by the time the leaves turn.


— Tony

Black and white portrait of a tattooed mother tenderly holding her baby, captured in soft studio lighting.
A tattooed mother in a green dress holds her baby in a studio portrait setting.
Black and white portrait of a mother with tattoos holding her baby, gazing down lovingly in a studio setting.
Black and white photo of a tattooed mother tenderly holding her baby near a window.
Young mother with wavy hair tenderly holds her infant baby in white onesie against dark background.
Black and white portrait of a young mother tenderly holding her baby in a studio setting.
Black and white portrait of a mother holding her baby, with a tattoo visible on her arm, studio background.
A young mother with a tattoo in a green dress tenderly holds her baby in a studio portrait.
Black and white portrait of a tattooed mother holding her baby, studio photography.
Tattooed mother tenderly holding her baby in soft natural light by a window.
Tattooed mother tenderly holding her baby, wearing a green skirt, posed against a dark curtain backdrop.
Smiling tattooed mother in green dress lying on carpet beside crawling baby in white onesie against gray wall.
Black and white photo of a mother lying down while lovingly holding her smiling baby up in the air.
Black and white photo of a mother lying down, lovingly holding her smiling baby up above her face.
Adorable baby with blue eyes and rosy cheeks wearing a white outfit against a gray background.
A tattooed mother tenderly holds her baby on a bed with green blankets in a cozy indoor setting.
A tattooed mother in a green dress sits on the floor, joyfully lifting her baby in the air indoors.
A tattooed mother holds her baby in a studio, wearing a green dress, with a gray textured wall background.
Black and white portrait of a smiling mother sitting on the floor holding her happy baby in a studio setting.
Black and white photo of a curious baby in a white onesie reaching out with tiny hands.
Adorable baby in white onesie reaching toward camera, supported by adult hands with silver rings.
Close-up of a parent's hands gently holding a newborn baby's tiny feet on a soft green blanket.
A smiling baby in a white onesie being cradled by a mother wearing a green dress and diamond rings.
Black and white portrait of a mother holding her baby infant while seated in a chair, looking down lovingly.
Black and white portrait of a young mother sitting in armchair tenderly holding her baby infant.
Black and white photo of a tattooed mother lovingly holding her baby, gazing at each other tenderly.
A tattooed mother smiles lovingly at her baby while seated in a gray chair near curtains.
Black and white portrait of a tattooed mother cradling her infant close to her chest while looking away.
A baby's tiny hand gently touching a woman's green lace bralette, with a tattoo visible on her arm.
A tattooed mother in a green dress holds her baby in a studio portrait against a dark gray background.
Black and white studio portrait of a smiling mother holding her laughing baby, showcasing a tender maternal bond.
Black and white photo of a tattooed mother joyfully holding her laughing baby against a textured studio backdrop.
Smiling mother in green dress tenderly breastfeeding her newborn baby against a gray studio background.
Black and white photo of a smiling mother tenderly holding her newborn baby in her arms.
Black and white portrait of a mother breastfeeding her newborn baby while seated, captured in soft studio lighting.
Black and white photo of a newborn baby breastfeeding while being cradled in mother's arms.
A mother tenderly breastfeeds her newborn baby while seated, wearing a brown wrap dress against a gray backdrop.
A mother tenderly breastfeeds her newborn baby while seated, draped in earthy brown and green fabric.
Black and white photo of a mother tenderly breastfeeding her newborn baby in a softly lit room.
Black and white photo of a mother breastfeeding her newborn baby while seated in a chair.
Mother tenderly breastfeeding her newborn baby while seated in a chair, wrapped in a soft white blanket.
Black and white photo of a tattooed mother breastfeeding her newborn baby wrapped in a soft blanket.
A tattooed mother tenderly breastfeeding her newborn baby while seated in a chair by a window.
A mother tenderly breastfeeding her newborn baby while wrapped in a soft white blanket, seated in a cozy chair.
A mother gently holds her newborn baby's tiny hand, wearing a delicate silver ring, on a soft white blanket.
Black and white photo of a mother tenderly cradling her newborn baby while seated by a curtained window.
Black and white photo of a mother with tattoos breastfeeding her newborn baby, cradled gently in her hands.
A tattooed mother holds her laughing baby against a dark studio backdrop.
Black and white photo of a mother holding her baby, shot from behind, showing her bare back against a dark background.
Black and white photo of a mother with a floral back tattoo breastfeeding her newborn baby in soft studio lighting.
Black and white portrait of a young mother sitting and tenderly holding her smiling baby against a dark studio backdrop.
A young mother with wavy brown hair tenderly holds her baby in warm studio lighting.
A young mother with wavy hair holds her infant baby in her arms against a dark background.
A mother tenderly holds her baby wrapped in a soft muslin cloth, gently touching the infant's mouth.
Adorable baby with blue eyes held by mother in brown dress, looking curiously at camera in warm light.
A smiling mother in a brown dress tenderly holds her infant baby, sharing a peaceful bonding moment.
A mother in a brown dress holds her laughing baby up in the air, sharing a joyful moment against a gray background.
A mother tenderly holds her baby wrapped in a green muslin cloth, both bathed in warm natural light.
Black and white photo of a mother and baby sharing a tender moment on a draped couch in a studio.
Close-up of a baby's tiny hand resting on an adult's green linen dress with buttons.
Black and white photo of a mother tenderly holding her newborn baby's feet while reclining on a bed.
Black and white photo of a smiling mother laughing with her happy baby while seated in a chair.
Mother in green dress sits on sofa holding baby wrapped in olive blanket in moody studio setting.
Young mother in green dress sits with curious baby on her lap against dark textured wall.
A young mother in a green dress tenderly holds her shirtless baby boy while sitting on a green chair.
A young mother in a green dress tenderly holds her baby near a bright window in soft natural light.
Black and white photo of a mother tenderly holding her newborn baby near a bright window.