✓ "Tenderness of love", the world of motherhood in Elisa Cogotti's photos

Source: Elisa Cogotti

Are you passionate about photographs taken of pregnant women and newborns and you literally melt in front of them? We conducted an interview with a Sardinian photographer expert in "newborn" shots, Elisa Cogotti, who told us how she developed her interest in this kind of shots, how she usually does her job as a passionate artist and revealed what for her it means capturing the sweetest images of babies who have just come into the world.

HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF THE "TENDERZZE D'AMORE" PROJECT

15 PHOTOS

The world of motherhood in 15 intense photos

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"Tenderness of love" is the photographic project of the Sardinian photographer Elisa Cogotti, passionate about shots of pregnant women, beautiful babies, couples in love and ...

1) When was your interest in images of babies, children, families born?

I was born as a portrait photographer. After a journey to the photography school in Cagliari ("La Bottega della Luce"), in 2022 I decided to continue my studies specializing in pregnancy and "newborn" portraits; at some point in my life I realized how important they were family and childhood memories. Having been adopted, many phases of mine have not been photographed; this made me particularly attentive and dedicated to this type of photography. I believe that all children should have such precious memories, for me nothing is more valuable than them.

2) Do you photograph for work or for pleasure?

I have been a professional photographer for almost 4 years. But I will never stop photographing even for pleasure: photography has always been my greatest passion.

3) What does it mean to you to photograph newborns?

The newborns I photograph are usually 5 to 20 days old: they are wonderful creatures who have just entered the world. Those days of their life fly by in an instant: immortalizing them in all their tenderness as "baby men" moves me, honors me and allows me to live in an environment that is continually marked by sweetness, delicacy and love. While photographing them, I feel I am preserving the most important values that man can ever cultivate. A supreme art of inestimable value.

4) What kind of relationship do you establish with children, mothers and couples?

I always try to develop empathy. As for infants, as I bundle and cuddle them before starting the session, I can already understand what makes them relax the most and what might be bothering them. For example, some prefer to be all wrapped up rather than naked, others don't like forehead strokes, but relax more with a foot massage. They too, like us adults, are all different and it is important to take this into account for a successful session.

With expectant mothers and families, I interact a lot before starting the session; for example, the preliminary meeting in the studio helps me to get to know them and gain confidence. This works in my favor during the shooting: they will feel much more relaxed and, why not ... they will also be able to have fun!

5) What details do you dwell on and which "scenarios" do you prefer?

One of my favorite lenses is the 105mm macro: a prime lens that allows you to photograph details up close (even the lashes or the tip of the nose)! I also use it for newborn portraits, its sharpness is wonderful and allows me to take care of the details in a really optimal way, with a very nice blurred background, when used wide open. The natural settings are the ones I prefer for the "family and maternity" sessions; I like to immortalize lifestyle subjects as they interact with each other. I never interrupt a manifestation of love, I prefer to be ready to photograph it! I really like photographing in the city at dawn and in the fields at sunset: they are photographs that taste like poetry.

6) Can you tell us about a "special case" that has happened to you since you photographed?

I happened to photograph a girl of almost 3 months as if she were a newborn: she was so good and relaxed that I was able to conduct the photo session like one of those "newborn" ones, it was fantastic! Then last year I photographed an expectant mother who moved me particularly and I wanted to give her the maternity session as a gift. In fact, her partner did not treat her as she deserved and often made fun of her and her physical appearance, tried by her pregnancy and her obvious stretch marks. For him it was an "innocent game", while she suffered greatly from it. She wanted so much to have some pictures of me with her partner, but it was not possible because her husband considered her "not pleasant to do a photo shoot". I promised not to publish these photographs and I will not, but believe me, the sweetness and beauty of that woman will always remain in my heart and I am sure that for her too it was a wonderful experience that she will never forget. Never give up on her memories, but above all never lose your smile in such special moments as the expectation of a child!

Elisa Cogotti is a professional photographer specializing in artistic portraits of pregnancy and "newborn". You studied photography at the Bottega della Luce (Cagliari), and then specialized with the American mentor Ana Brandt (California). She currently works and lives in Sardinia, her studio is located in Cagliari but she moves constantly to teach, even outside the country. You have worked in New York in a Manhattan photography studio and in Indonesia for teaching. You can follow her work on her website http://www.elisacogotti.com/ and on the Facebook page

Sweet 2 week old babies ... sleeping!

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Here are some photos of two week old sleeping babies. Your heart will melt in looking at them! Babies in the first 14 days have softer cartilage and ...

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