Nonahood News: Tell us about you and your art.

Lanh Balagtas: My name is Lanh. I am a maternity and motherhood photographer. I started doing photography about six years ago, and I went all in on maternity and motherhood about three years ago. I love creating an experience for moms that allows them to feel beautiful throughout the entire journey of motherhood. A lot of times, we forget how beautiful the journey is. 

I’ve always loved taking photos because, in the end, what you’re left with are the photos. Your memories are going to fade, but when you have the photos to go along with those memories, they stay vivid.

NHN: Recent artistic accomplishments?

LB: I’ve won six or seven awards. There’s this competition called the Portrait Masters, where you enter images and seven of the top portrait photographers in the world judge your images. I’ve won seven awards there. I’ve been published in a local magazine and on an online blog called Every Last Detail, which is a wedding blog.

NHN: Most rewarding project?

LB: It always brings me a lot of joy to photograph IVF moms. I am an IVF warrior myself, so anytime that I get a client who has been through the IVF journey, that’s when I feel so much love. I love all my clients, but for me to be able to capture this journey for them means so much to me because I know how much they’ve been through.

NHN: Most challenging project?

LB: It’s always challenging to take photos of kids. Kids are unpredictable, especially toddlers. You don’t know what mood they’re going to be in, if they’re going to pay attention, if they’re going to laugh or smile for the photos. It takes a lot of patience and quick movements to interact with the kids. Those are the most challenging, but those are also the most rewarding because these are the photos that a lot of moms cherish the most. 

NHN: How do photoshoots typically go?

LB: I offer hair and makeup to my clients. It’s just one less thing that moms have to worry about. For the first two hours, my client’s going to have their hair and makeup done. During those two hours, I’m prepping for the shoot. I’m getting everything organized as far as the backdrops, the studio, making sure the dresses – because I offer a wardrobe for moms – are ironed and getting everything prepped for the moms. When it comes time for the session, I’m guiding the clients the entire way. None of my clients are models, so I’m telling them how to stand, where to put their hands, how they should hold their kids. After the shoot, I go through all the images, choose the best ones, do a soft edit on those, and get them ready for my clients to look at so that they can choose which images they love.

NHN: Who or what inspires your photography?

LB: My inspiration has always been Lola Melani. She’s also a maternity photographer, and she teaches as well. I’ve taken quite a few of her courses, and they have been so helpful to me.

NHN: Passions besides photography?

LB: I keep quite busy because I have two young kids. I have a four-year-old and a one-and-a-half-year-old. Aside from that, not only do I do photography, I’m also a full-time optometrist. I have a lot of help from my parents, my in-laws and my husband as well. I would not be able to do it all without them.

NHN: New projects in the works?

LB: I have this huge event coming up on August 26th. It’s a motherhood event that’s centered around getting beautiful photos of moms and kids. It’s going to be an in-studio event, and the ladies from Velvet & Twine, a floral design company in Central Florida, are going to transform the entire studio into an indoor garden that will serve as the backdrop for the photos. I’ve been dreaming about this for over a year now. 

NHN: Describe your artistic style.

LB: I believe that you should dress up for your photos. Your photoshoot day is not like a normal day when you are out and about in the park. This is something that’s going to be hung on your walls or live in albums forever. You want to look your best in the photos. I offer a client closet for my clients. I have a lot of couture gowns, but I also have more casual dresses, too. I don’t believe in just showing up in jeans and a t-shirt for the photo shoot, so I would describe my photos as upscale, timeless, high-end style portraits.

NHN: Where can people find you/your art?

LB: My website is lbalagtasphotography.com and my Instagram and Facebook handles are @LBalagtasPhotography.