APEROL SPRITZ

The Journal

It’s not “too late”

filed under:

Newborn

Hi, I'm Sofia Bianco, a photographer and brand content creator based on the Amalfi Coast. So glad you're here.

My dear mama,

I know the “perfect window” feels like it’s passed. I know the voices telling you “too late” echo in your mind. Maybe your little one spent days in the NICU, or maybe you were lost in the haze of postpartum exhaustion, anxiety, or grief. Maybe you simply needed time to catch your breath.

But here’s the truth: your story isn’t bound by a calendar. Your baby’s tiny fingers, their sleepy smiles, the way they curl into you—these moments are still here. They are still sacred. And your love for them, your journey to this point, deserves to be remembered.

These photos aren’t just about a “newborn window.” They’re about honoring the life you’ve brought into the world, and the strength, grace, and heart it took to get here. Your baby is here. You are here. And that is more than enough reason to capture it.

You might not know my story, but I’ve been where you are sitting right now. I had a traumatic birth, a prolonged NICU stay, and all of the fear and anxiety of being a new mom to a baby with an unknown future. I have felt the paralyzing fear that I waited too long and I succumbed to it. And now – almost 10 years later – I so regret not getting the pictures done.

So trust me, even if the world says the time has passed, I say it’s never too late to hold onto this love.

With all my heart,
Xan

Hi, I'm Sofia Bianco, a photographer and brand content creator based on the Amalfi Coast. So glad you're here.

  1. Hi, this is a comment.
    To get started with moderating, editing, and deleting comments, please visit the Comments screen in the dashboard.
    Commenter avatars come from Gravatar.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The LATEST

Welcome to the Aperol Spritz Blog, brought to you by Sofia Bianco. Enjoy our latest work, travels and photography.

Behind the Camera

Xan
Heller

Born and raised in the Bay Area, I was dubbed the “artistic one” of the family early on. I was always busy creating something: architectural sketches of our home, a six-foot paper mâché whale, magazine collages covering every inch of my walls (and ceiling), tiny handmade gifts, stories about cats… there was always something in progress.

Naturally, I went on to study film at Chapman University, but it was there, through an unexpected nudge from a cinematography professor, that I realized what I was really drawn to was the still image.

That realization led me from London to New York to Los Angeles - working with publications like Vogue, Men's Vogue, Brides, Los Angeles Times Magazine, and C California Style. I earned a degree in Photography & Imaging from Art Center College of Design in 2008.

Life then brought me briefly to Austin, Texas where I met my husband, and eventually back to the Bay Area, where we’re now raising our three boys, two tuxedo cats, and one very stubborn husky. My entry to motherhood was not easy. My first son suffered a brain injury at birth and in a single moment, our lives were forever changed. 
It wasn’t until I came out of the fog of early motherhood that I felt the pull to reclaim myself - to remember that I am more than just “mom.” Through connection, creativity, and a slow return to self, I’ve found my way back. And in that process, I’ve learned how to truly see and celebrate the woman I’ve always been - and the one I’m still becoming.

That’s what I hold space for in my work.

It’s a privilege to create portraits that help women recognize their own strength, their beauty, and the truth of who they are.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, I was dubbed the “artistic one” of the family early on. I was always busy creating something: architectural sketches of our home, a six-foot paper mâché whale, magazine collages covering every inch of my walls (and ceiling), tiny handmade gifts, stories about cats… there was always something in progress.

Naturally, I went on to study film at Chapman University, but it was there, through an unexpected nudge from a cinematography professor, that I realized what I was really drawn to was the still image.

That realization led me from London to New York to Los Angeles - working with publications like Vogue, Men's Vogue, Brides, Los Angeles Times Magazine, and C California Style. I earned a degree in Photography & Imaging from Art Center College of Design in 2008.

Life then brought me briefly to Austin, Texas where I met my husband, and eventually back to the Bay Area, where we’re now raising our three boys, two tuxedo cats, and one very stubborn husky. My entry to motherhood was not easy. My first son suffered a brain injury at birth and in a single moment, our lives were forever changed. 
It wasn’t until I came out of the fog of early motherhood that I felt the pull to reclaim myself - to remember that I am more than just “mom.” Through connection, creativity, and a slow return to self, I’ve found my way back. And in that process, I’ve learned how to truly see and celebrate the woman I’ve always been - and the one I’m still becoming.

That’s what I hold space for in my work.

It’s a privilege to create portraits that help women recognize their own strength, their beauty, and the truth of who they are.

FAVORITE pOSTS & RESOURCES

The portrait Shoot Style guide

TIPS FOR THE BEST GOLDEN HOUR PHOTOS

a few of our curated

FAVORITES

BEST ELOPEMENT LOCALES

tennic-chic elopEment inspo

SPRING BOOK LIST

AMALFI ON FILM

Free Download

The IDEAL TIMELINE GUIDE

Heirloom schlitz synth, humblebrag scenester tumblr plaid narwhal offal tofu authentic hell of umami. Williamsburg sartorial put a bird on it craft beer.