Julia photographed not one, but TWO of my weddings. To the same person! During the pandemic, my husband and I decided to have a small friends-only wedding as well as a family focused wedding separately to maintain safety and intimacy for everyone. Julia was our resident photographer for both of these magical experiences and the photos she captured were absolutely stunning. Julia has a keen eye for the beautiful subtle moments in life. She looks for gorgeous lighting, for quiet details, for the little slices of joy only a true artist can catch. She is also warm, goofy, and incredibly easy to work with. She made our special days deeply memorable. Cannot recommend her enough. read more

Julia Lorraine - Our most special Halloween wedding moment captured by Julia. - Doulas Near Me

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I was one of those women, who could never really imagine what her wedding would be like, but after I got engaged last fall, I knew Julia had to be apart of my journey. Julia and I met through the doula world and I have been admiring her family portraits and birth photography for years. The way she captures light and life's organic, spontaneous moments of love is truly one of a kind. My partner and I opted for an engagement photo session as well, which was really special, super fun and casual. Julia is incredibly thoughtful and passionate. She also met with us before the big day to talk things through in terms of timing and what shots were most important to us. She even went so far as to scout out our location before we got married. Then on the big day, she showed up and sprung right into action capturing those special moments of my girl tribe gathered around supporting me as we all got ready. Julia has this casual ease about her, that is so comforting to be around. She is a doula after all! I couldn't recommend Julia more highly. If you need a kind, compassionate, creative photographer by your side during your marriage journey, Julia is your person. We are so happy with all of our photos and will cherish them forever. Thank you for everything Julia! read more

Julia Lorraine - Doulas Near Me

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We hired Julia for the FULL experience - pregnancy/family shot, birth pictures and video and a newborn shot. I never thought having too many beautiful pictures could be a problem ;) but we now have so many it's hard to decide which ones to use for albums and cards. Julia has a rare quality of ease to her, she sees but isn't seen. At out birth she felt more of a doula and a friend there for support than a photographer, the amazing pictures she took was a bonus. She's so very talented in her ability to naturally capture the moment. For the pregnancy and newborn shots we didn't at all pose for her we just went about our day. We took a stroll around our neighborhood, played at home with our toddler and Julia took gorgeous real pictures capturing those moments. I can guarantee you won't regret working with Julia, she's a gifted photographer and a pleasure to be around. read more

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We hired Julia to take newborn photos of our little Bug. Julia was a true pleasure to work with- from scheduling to prepping, to the day of, everything was done with ease and professionalism. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. The photographs that she captured are truly a work of art. She managed to capture the spirit of our family in some of the most nonchalant pics. She stayed with us for several hours, accommodating several feedings, dog interruptions and poop explosions :) I also loved how very simple everything was- she knew how to make the most out of our existing space and natural lighting, so it was a very relaxing morning! I recently compiled the photos into a photo book and shared them with the grandparents. Their response: "This is truly a keepsake" "I can't believe how artistic they are!" If you are looking for a photographer who captures the feeling in the moment, then Julia is the photographer for you. She listens to your input and seamlessly integrates her expertise...and makes everyone feel very pretty when all is said and done! read more

Julia Lorraine - Doulas Near Me

It was an AMAZING experience to work with Julia and I will cherish the photos she took for us forever. We did a total of 4 photo sessions throughout my pregnancy with her - a family photo shoot, a pregnancy shoot, labor and delivery, and first look with the big sisters - each and every photo she delivered (no pun intended) surpassed our expectations. As a doula, she knows how to work so well with pregnant woman, nervous partners and silly/impatient big sisters. The final products are better than we could have ever hoped for. I would recommend Julia to anyone who wants a fun, relaxed, and super professional photographer to capture those special moments from pregnancy to labor/delivery and beyond! read more

Julia was my doula for my first baby and I vowed I wouldn't give birth again unless she could be there! She was the first person I called when I was pregnant with my second. She massaged my back for hours, had so many helpful suggestions, and was a calm, kind presence throughout. She also put me in touch with my wonderful midwife, Michelle, and I had a homebirth with my second baby. I didn't realise how much I wanted the photos of my birth until I saw the photos Julia took. It's such an incredible, intense moment and I'm so happy to have such beautiful images of both my babies when they were brand new. We also asked Julia to take photos of our family when the grandparents came to visit our first baby. And when I got pregnant with our second we asked her to take photos of our family of 3, before it expanded. I treasure all of the images and we can't recommend Julia enough. read more

tl;dr; Don't think twice. Hire Julia. She is an awesome person, photographer and doula. long version: we were originally looking for a labor and delivery photographer, because we wanted to have great pictures that could capture the moments of our second baby boy birth. The referrals we had weren't available and so we found Julia on yelp. As soon as we had our first appointment, the connection between all of us started right away. Our first son was born in Brazil and delivered via cesarian. As a foreigner living in America, having Julia as our doula was key, since my wife wanted to try a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarian) and thus a whole new experience. She was supporting us at all times, being that words, massages, capturing the moments, suggesting pregnancy alternative treatments, anything. Julia was 100% committed and involved. If all of that wasn't enough, there was a big surprise with a sweet and beautiful video with pictures and audio's of the labor, delivery and postpartum. Such a priceless gift from our friend Julia. Words can't express how amazing you are. Thanks a bunch. Lucas and Renata! read more

I had prenatal photos taken with Julia at Birth Focused. She is fantastic! I am not that great at posing for pictures, the pressure makes me nervous and awkward, but Julia made me feel so comfortable I almost forgot she was taking photos. And the pics turned out gorgeous! I loved them even more after my baby was born, it was so special to look back at the photos and see my little boy inside me, while holding him in my arms. Julia helped me to prepare by suggesting a location that would work well. She answered my questions thoroughly and she always responded right away. The turn around time to get the pics back was also fast. She is also a doula. Her knowledge about births, birthing strategies, and her love of pregnant mamas and babies was very apparent as we talked during the photo shoot. Her demeanor is very calm, caring, steady and confident. Although my husband and I decided not to use a doula this birth, Julia would definitely be someone I would want at my side as a support and advocate. I highly recommend Julia at Birth Focused. She's the Jack(ie) of all trades when it comes to pre/post natal needs. read more

I'm so incredibly grateful for the photos and Julia's support during my birth. I treasure the photos and look at them all the time. Her calm, grounded and loving presence at the birth was exactly what I needed. She'll always have a special place in our hearts and family. She's a gem! read more

I can't recommend Julia enough. We did a newborn photoshoot with her, and I had the best experience. First, she came to our house, which was fantastic because at 10 days postpartum, I wasn't feeling like going anywhere. But more than that, her pictures captured our environnement and made it much more personal. Julia was warm and patient. The whole session was a true pleasure. And the results were even better! She was able to capture beautiful moments that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Icing on the cake: she gave us access electronically to all the pictures she took and her price is very reasonable. Don't think twice, you'll love working with Julia. read more

After birthing my son with the help of Laura and Julia, I truly don't know how any woman labors without doulas! They were the guides, sounding boards, and support system my husband and I needed to get through our first labor and delivery experience. When I think of all the rookie mistakes I would have made without their guidance, I'm infinitely grateful to them. From our first prenatal sessions, we knew we had made the right decision hiring Birth Focused. Laura and Julia walked us through the ins and outs of labor and the discussed the pros and cons of all the decisions parents need to make during and immediately after delivery. One of my fears about hiring a doula was that she might have a certain agenda and pressure me towards it; that was NOT the case with Laura and Julia. They helped me design and, later, encouraged me to stick with a birth plan that worked best for me. The doulas were in constant contact during the weeks that preceded my labor, emailing me helpful tips and recommendations tailored to my birth preferences. They then tag teamed my 26-hour, natural labor, which helped keep the energy up throughout and created a nice change of pace when they switched off shortly after I was admitted to UCSF hospital. Whether my husband needed bolstering, I needed reassurance, or we needed some space to just walk the hospitals halls by ourselves, Laura and Julia were able to read the situation and respond accordingly. My baby needed some immediate tending to after he was born, and it was a great comfort to have Julia with me, holding my hand, while my husband was with the baby. I encourage every expectant mama to consider doulas, and I can't recommend Birth Focused highly enough. I look forward to calling Laura and Julia when it's time for our next baby. read more

My wife & I worked with Julia as a doula for the birth of our second child. Julia was a godsend! We decided to do a home birth and we were particularly concerned about having our 3 year old son at home and how he might react during the birth. Julia came and spent time with our 3 year old several times leading up to the birth and they developed a real bond. For the birth, our plan was to have Julia watch our son if he was awake at the time of labor. As it turned out, our son slept through the labor, so Julia was able to focus 100% on supporting my wife during labor and helping me to be there for her. Julia performed massage on my wife, which was incredibly helpful and really made a huge difference. In addition, Julia captured some amazing images which we will be grateful to have for years to come. My wife and I would both highly recommend Julia to couples exploring the option of using a doula. Prospective dads, I honestly think working with a doula is the number one thing you can do to help your partner and to feel much more confident and prepared. And Julia is just fantastic! read more

Words cannot express how grateful we are to have found Laura and Julia!! The doula that we were originally supposed to work with, dropped us for a 2nd time mom, which was very stressful but I am SO glad she did!! We had a better feeling with Laura and Julia, and they both made us feel calm before the birth. I had an extremely long labor, 40 hours in total and Laura was there to hold my hand for many, many hours. Julia was out due to illness so Laura was able to find a back-up doula (Britt) to come be with us overnight while she got some rest. Britt was amazing and really helped my husband get some rest. In the morning, Laura was back by my side and helping us get through the final stretch. She is super supportive and able to give you advice along the way. Hiring these two was probably one of the BEST choices we made!!! read more

It's hard to put into words how fantastic Julia was at the birth of our baby girl. We had the perfect, natural delivery - exactly what we wanted - and it wouldn't have happened without Julia's expert care, encouragement and support. I highly recommend making Julia part of your birth plan. Her presence is a gift. We are so grateful to her! read more

I cannot thank Julia and Laura enough for the help they offered to my and my husband during the delivery of our son. I had a long hard labor with many twists and turns and they were there every step of the way offering support. They anticipated many of my needs making me feel like I was in expert hands and felt they truly cared about me and my family. This is quite honestly some of the best money I have ever spent and don't know how I would have gotten through without them. I would also add that I delivered at UCSF and they both were very knowledgable about the staff and worked so well with all the nurses that the outcome was a very peaceful labor and delivery room where everyone was working together as a team. Exactly as I would have wanted it. read more

Julia and Laura are incredibly skilled doulas who made our birth experience so much easier: from prenatal preparation to postpartum life. They are gentle and supportive in every way and they embrace the uniqueness of each birth including the emotions that can surround it. At the same time, they provide solid factual information about each decision that surrounds labor. In the months leading up to our due date, they spent much time teaching us practical pain management techniques that allowed us to feel empowered enough to labor at home for quite a while. Once in the hospital, they offer (incredible) massage & visualizations, help with navigating conversations with doctors, and suggestions for movements/different positions (and so much more). They also keenly intuit when to hang back and let a laboring mother do her thing. Despite their wealth of knowledge, they bring a deep sense of respect for the instincts of the mother. They really know their stuff! Also, as others have written here, Julia is a ninja photographer. She doesn't intrude and yet she captures special moments as they happen. I really can't say enough good things about this pair of wise women. They were (and are) awesome and if we ever have a second child, I'll call them immediately. read more

Laura and Julia are amazing! They supported my husband and I during the birth of our first child. We delivered at CPMC. The support they provided before-during-and after labor was invaluable. Laura was present for the birth and served as my advocate and support but equally was there for my husband. These ladies are top notch! read more