What’s an information systems specialist with a background in international relations doing behind the lens of a camera? The answer: bringing joy to families via heirloom-quality photographs that capture the tenderness and vulnerability of new life.

As a child, newborn photographer Kisha Beek loved to page through the many photo albums that graced her family’s Kingston, Jamaica, home. Photos of her parents before they met. Grainy studio portraits of grandparents. Images of long-past times and places. The photos were not just a chronicle of milestones. They were the invisible thread that stitched together her family’s journeys and generations.

“Heritage is very big in Jamaican culture and family was everything to us,” says Beek, based in Wellington, Florida. “We were all close. My sister and I grew up with cousins who were more like siblings. And on every occasion pictures were taken.” There was never a question about purchasing school photo packages, regardless of the washed-out colors and rigid poses.

On September 12, 1988, Hurricane Gilbert stormed the island, causing much death and destruction. Beek’s family was lucky, as only one room in their house suffered water damage. Unfortunately, it was the room with their photo albums. Out of countless images, only a few survived. The loss was profound for Beek, 15 at the time and a self-described sentimentalist.

TOE IN THE WATER

In high school, Beek learned about film photography and dark room basics in photography club. “Everything had to be captured with such intention—the lighting and the composition,” she says. “Then, you wait.” She loved the process and was especially drawn to black-and-white photography, but she never considered her interest would move beyond a hobby.

Beek went on to attend the University of the West Indies where she earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations. She continued her education with a master’s degree in computer-based management information systems and found satisfying work in IT. By this time, she had met Cary Beek, a Jamaica-born pilot. They married in 2001.

A true-blue “island girl,” Beek and her husband soon relocated to South Florida, where Cary worked for Air Jamaica. The move to the United States was difficult for Beek, but over time, and with the birth of sons Christian and Kaleb, the Sunshine State came to feel like home.

Beek left her IT career to manage her busy family. Like many new parents, she was determined to document every moment of the boys’ lives on film, from small to seismic. “Using a point-and-shoot, I worked in black and white, getting right up in their faces and capturing it all,” In 2010, the young family moved to Dubai when Cary took a job with Emirates Airlines. Dubai’s exotic scenery, from urban backdrops to dramatic desert settings, enhanced her family photos.

By then, Beek was using a Canon DSLR, but she needed something simpler for street photography during the family’s many travels. The answer was a Fujifilm X-T1 with a 35mm lens. “It was the best thing ever,” she says. “It hung around my neck while I held both boys by the hand. It was sturdy and rugged, but I could pick it up quickly and capture anything.” She filled albums with images of trips to Western Europe, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

On a whim, Beek entered a photography contest at her boys’ school and took first place. Surprised but encouraged, she decided it was time to up her photography game. She signed up for an online course, joined a meetup, and got involved with Gulf Photo Plus, a Dubai-based photography center.

Once she felt that her technical know-how was aligned with her artistic vision, she was ready for the next step: a family photography business she named Photography by Kisha Beek. Though her outreach was limited to the school community, her reputation grew as she fused talent and experience with Dubai’s stunning natural and man-made backgrounds. Returning to Florida, Beek decided to narrow her focus to newborns, a niche she was increasingly captivated by. She registered her business in Boynton Beach and built a home studio informed by research and inspired by world-renowned newborn photographers and industry experts Kelly Brown and Ana Brandt. Word spread among besotted, sleep-deprived parents eager to chronicle this brief moment in their families’ lives. Though she does photograph older babies, her sweet spot is newborns five to 21 days old and their families.

A SYSTEMS APPROACH

Over the last decade, Beek’s business has continued to grow and her brand has evolved. She credits her success in part to applying her systems and IT expertise to the work of crafting images of angelic newborns and their adoring parents. A tightly curated, ordered process and lots of pre-session planning are the keys to delivering exquisite photos and a fun, relaxing experience, she says.

“From the first phone call to final delivery of product, it’s a guided process,” says Beek. “It starts with an initial phone, Zoom, or coffee shop meeting to see if we’re a fit. If so, the next step is a pre-consult where I explain the process and discuss the most important thing: the safety of their babies.” Parents complete a client form that includes details like the baby’s weight, which can shift dramatically by the time they arrive for their session. (No worries, she says, as she keeps outfits in all sizes.) Beek is trained in CPR and has completed newborn safety training. She limits sessions to one per day, which ensures a relaxed vibe and no rushing.

Before the family arrives, Beek takes the time to go over logistics and expectations. The parents pick colors and props, and Beek sets up lighting and equipment. On the day of the session, her process includes regular breaks, a private space for naps and nursing, and lots of adult snacks. “Yes, it’s all about the babies, but I pride myself on taking care of the parents, especially moms,” she says. “If they’re comfortable and relaxed, the babies are, too.” The extensive pre-planning frees Beek from logistical concerns, which keeps her focus on the tools and techniques to support her work, including enjoying her time with the babies.

Technology and talent coexist beautifully in Beek’s studio. Her camera of choice is a Canon EOS R6 Mark II mirrorless camera, with a Canon RF24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM lens. She uses a Canon RF100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM lens for detail shots. Beek favors continuous LED daylight-balanced lights over flash “because I don’t want that jarring light change every time I release the shutter,” she says. A white noise system and warming device keep her tiny subjects calm and cozy on the set.

Beek describes her process as “baby led.” As such, she does not guarantee particular poses but works from a general set of expectations. Like all good photographers, she says she knows to take advantage of the unexpected—an adorable expression or a single closed eye. Though she has a complete inventory of outfits, swaddles, hats, bonnets, and headbands (all washed with hypoallergenic products), Beek favors simpler, more organic settings. She tends to avoid elaborate structures and props. “Having said that, I recently had a dad who was obsessed with superheroes, so of course we indulged him,” she adds.

When planning a session, Beek envisions the babies on the other side of her lens as older children viewing their own newborn photos on the walls and in albums at their homes. “It’s important for kids’ self-confidence to see themselves in timeless images that can be loved and passed down, not on a phone or hard drive,” says Beek.

Outside of her own business, Beek volunteers as a digital retouch artist for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a nonprofit that offers complimentary portrait sessions to families experiencing newborn loss. She extends compassion to these distraught parents who lost their babies “because family is everything,” she says, a powerful message from someone who loved and lost her own visual history.

Evelyn Sacks is an Atlanta-based writer.