We are thrilled to announce the winners of our June contests! Our regular monthly contest brought lots of in-hospital cuteness & it was fun to see our photographers’ favorite swaddled images in the 2nd quarter contest. We’re also excited to share the winners from our first Bella Life contest since we switched to hosting the contest every quarter instead of monthly.
You can check out all the winners in our video below, then read on for a behind-the-scenes look at how the photographers captured their winning photos.
The story behind the photo
Bella Baby June 2025
“I love this pose! Big sister was so excited to have her picture taken with her new baby brother. Lying them on the couch was perfect with a wiggly toddler. You wouldn’t know she didn’t like to sit still when looking at this photo, but it only takes a second to catch a sweet moment.”
-Ida VanBeelen, 1st Place
“This family was so wonderful. They were tired but excited when they heard about our service. When it was dad’s turn for the pictures, he was very happy to hold his baby. I usually take a picture of dad looking at the baby. In that moment, the baby yawned, and I captured the shot. The timing of the yawn was perfect, and the way Dad looked at him was filled with pure love.”
-Faviola Martinez, 2nd Place
Bella Baby 2nd Quarter 2025 – Best Swaddle
“Mom wasn’t expecting a photo session that day. I simply used what she had around. Baby was alert, and just soaking in the world around her.
Later that day, I came back and Grandpa told me the baby had been taken to the NICU. My heart dropped. Without knowing what was coming, Mom had those beautiful, calm moments with her baby. She got to see her little one pose, be present, and enjoy her, even if just for a few minutes.
Moments like this remind me why I do what I do. They matter more than we realize at the time.”
-Jessica Castano Mendoza, 1st Place
Bella Life 2nd Quarter 2025
“I first met this client at the hospital when I photographed their baby as a newborn. For her 6-month session, we used her beautiful nursery as the backdrop. She was very happy and smiled throughout the session. One of the sweetest moments happened when her best friend, the family dog, jumped onto the chair with her, wanting to be part of the fun. That’s when I captured this special moment of the two of them together.”
-Faviola Martinez, 1st Place
“I started photographing this family 7 years ago when they had their son in the hospital. After that, I’ve photographed Bella Life sessions for them every year, usually for the kids’ birthdays. This year, mom wanted to do a beach session to celebrate their 7th and 4th birthdays. We had perfect weather and beautiful skies. I was so happy with how they came out.”
-Lisa DellaBella, 2nd Place
“I photographed this family in the hospital when baby Tessa was born. It was so fun to see her again at 1 year old. She was the sweetest baby, and we ended up being best friends by the end of the session, even asking me for ups! We wandered down the hill to get some more photos by the creek, and when I looked back up the hill, it was framed beautifully by the trees. I asked the family to stand right where the wagon was so I could get this shot from the bottom of the hill. I imagine this one blown up very big in their house, and I hope the family cherishes it for years to come!”
-Kate Fowler, Honorable Mention
Final thoughts
There’s something magical about preserving special family moments through photography. We hope you’re as inspired by these moments and stories as we are. Whether it’s a special moment before a sudden change like a surprise NICU stay, or seeing a familiar face for another year of family photos, we are grateful to our Bella Baby and Bella Life clients for choosing to capture their family’s memories with us. Congratulations again to the winners of our June & 2nd quarter contests for 2025!!
