Heather Fernandes-Colaco It s the most miraculous thing anyone can ever experience. A new life coming in to this world, full of promise and hope. But to have these moments captured for eternity is another thing altogether. And that s exactly what Saligao-based Ranissa Pires does. A maternity, new born and birth photographer, Ranissa aims to capture these special moments in the best possible way. “To see actual life come into being is amazing,” states 35 year old Pires adding that although this is popular concept in the West, it is still picking up pace in India. Born into a family of photographers, Ranissa has been taking pictures and accompanying her dad (John Pires of Jonwel Photographers, Navelim), to shoots since she was 12 years old. “My dad normally did weddings and events and since the concept of candid wedding photography did not exist so many years ago, I found the genre to be quite staid and boring,” says Ranissa who always tried to capture emotions in her pictures. And this was the perfect genre for that task. She says, “It does not matter whether it is the first child or the fourth, there is sheer joy written on the faces of new parents each and every time there is new life coming into being.” But it s no easy task, informs Ranissa adding that it takes up to one hour to get a single pose. Babies are unpredictable, one minute they are fine, the next they are super-cranky. “Sometimes, I go back home without being able to take even one picture. But that s okay. I come back another day and we try again,” she informs. The same goes for maternity shoots. Indeed, documenting a woman s body during pregnancy is challenging. Because not only does it need extra sensitivity, it also requires high levels of patience and calm. Everyone knows how moody mothers-to-be can be. And who can blame them. Pregnancy is a challenging time and Ranissa tries to be as accommodating as possible while at the same time giving new mothers memories to cherish a lifetime. But be it a glowing maternity shoot or capturing the pristine innocence of a baby, Ranissa does her best to use natural lighting and hygienic settings while ensuring that both the mother and baby are completely at ease in the comfort of their own home. “All of my baby shoots are done sans the flash since it s not safe for the baby as their pupils are still undeveloped. And everything I use is 100 % hygienic and clean,” she maintains. Besides this, Ranissa also offers new parents the opportunity to capture the miracle of birth as it happens. “Noted gynaecologist Dr Eugene D Silva has permitted me access to his OT on three separate occasions so far, on the consent of his patients of course and it has been a wonderful experience. The first time I did a birthing shoot, it was amazing to see how complex the miracle of birth can be,” says an obviously awed Ranissa while Dr D Silva chimes, “Being able to actually see moments that you might miss out on because of everything else that is happening to your body is truly a wonderful thing. Also, it was amazing to see how an expectant mother s body image of herself changed once she saw herself through another s eye.” But isn t the birth process a delicate one? Says Sandhya Gokul, one of Ranissa s clients, “I wanted to see my baby being brought in to this world. But since I couldn t see it as it happened, pictures were the next best thing. I wasn t really aware of Ranissa s presence in the OT. I believe she was as unobtrusive as possible. And the pictures turned out pretty great. They are definitely something that I will cherish forever.” Crediting her father for the photographic gene however, Ranissa says, “My brother Joswell (who is also a photographer) and I have learnt everything we know from our father. Not just as far as our careers are concerned, but also in our everyday lives. He taught us how to respect people, respect our work and how to be independent.”
Be it a glowing maternity shoot or capturing the pristine innocence of a baby, Ranissa does her best to use natural lighting and hygienic settings while ensuring that both the mother and baby are completely at ease in the comfort of their own home
Ranissa Pires (extreme left), Sandhya Gokul with her husband and newborn baby Kriya (top) and picture from Ranissa s client shoots (left and bottom)
