If you're close to me, you would know that I have been wanting to shoot a cultural celebration for quite a while. I have a bucket list of shoots of sorts, maybe I'll share it with you guys some day, who knows maybe you can help me cross another item off my list and we can have some fun together! *light bulb moment!*

Well, I'm a big believer in energy, and I believe that the thoughts that you put out into the universe have a way of making their way into their lives. Which is why, the phrases "be careful what you wish for" or "your thoughts become your reality" ring loud and true to me.. negative thinking be gone! It's hard sometimes, but once you put a conscious effort into "thinking positive" with time, it becomes second nature.

Well, the energy of the universe has listened, and I got an enquiry from a lovely young lady, named Rukayya, expecting her first child. Rukayya was based in Abu Dhabi, and was looking for newborn baby photography in Dubai or Abu Dhabi to capture a Fresh48 session for her baby girl while she was still in the hospital, followed by coverage of a celebratory lunch a week later in honor of the baby girl, a naming ceremony of sorts. The twist? Rukayya is from Nigeria, and this was going to be my very first time shooting a Nigerian celebration. You can image just how excited I was about the prospect (still am!) 

When I showed up on the day, it was Rukayya and her husband Sufyan, their sisters Munira and Amina, and Sufyan's lovely parents. Nadine was just the sweetest sleepy little newborn baby, although she gave us glimpses of her beautiful eyes throughout the session, which I absolutely love! And when we met up a week later, I couldn't believe just how much she had changed in just that one week, and you will see from the video.. she's already quite the stylish little baby. Well done Rukayya and Sufyan, Congratulations on her safe arrival, I'm so excited for everyone for beginning such a beautiful stage of life, and I can't wait to see you all again!

I'm going to leave you with the video from our collective sessions together, and a handful of photos below. Enjoy!

You know how it is when you meet someone and you just click… that’s how it was with Michelle when we sat down to chat about what she had in mind for her upcoming family photoshoot. Michelle, being an expat in Dubai, was looking to document her family's time in a location specific to the UAE; a location that when the family looks back on the pictures years from now, they can truly speak to the nature of the beautiful city we live in. I just knew we had to head out to the desert, and I was curious to see how it would all play out with her two angels, Reya and Dalia, ages 3 years and 8 months..

It turned out incredible! What a great family, what an awesome time we had together, and that beautiful sun! I couldn't have asked for a better day and setting. 

Michelle and Shadi, thank you for trusting me to capture these incredible moments for you, and I'm already looking forward to seeing you guys again soon!