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Port Clinton,
OH 43452

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44

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A local photographer offers
moms-to-be an exceptional way
to document their pregnancy.

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Lynne Konstantin

I Contributing Writer

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M

onni Must adores babies.
And the acclaimed portrait
photographer has found a
new way to channel her passion — and
to help moms-to-be document a trans-
formative time in their lives — with her
lifeblood of creating photographs.
Must first heard about belly casting
pregnant women about four years ago,
and the idea had been percolating in
the background of her head while life
forged ahead.
"After my daughter died, I had noth-
ing to say to people' says Must, who
lost the eldest of her four daughters to
suicide in 2007. "I thought, 'What's so
important that needs to be said?' But I
adore babies. That, for me, has been a
real lifesaver:'
Must, who specializes in pregnancy,
newborn and children photos, in addi-
tion to high-school senior portraits,
families and the occasional wedding,
and studied at San Diego's renowned
Brooks Institute, has always used her
camera as a powerfully effective tool to
communicate with other people when
she felt, as she says, socially awkward.
And in return, she has been highly
sought after for her services, through
her business, Naturally Photography by
Monni in Sylvan Lake.
When her family experienced their
loss, Must found herself drawn to what
would become the Living Witness
Project, culminating in four exquisite
books of photographs documenting the
stories of Holocaust survivors in the
Detroit area and around the world, with
the help of her former assistant, Linda
Schlesinger.
When the Living Witness projects
were completed, Must was talking to her

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.une 5 • 2014

massage therapist, who also happened
to be a doula and lactation consultant.
"She had just recently moved here
from Canada, where she was doing belly
castings," Must says. "It just clicked:'
Hiring her to assist with her infant
photo sessions, Must and her assistant
began offering belly castings almost two
years ago.
The casting is done between 34 and
38 weeks of pregnancy in Must's studio,
in an environment as peaceful, sooth-
ing and comfortable as a spa, where a
safe, non-toxic form is placed on the
client until it hardens. After that, the
cast is sent to an artist, who decorates it
according to the client's specifications.
The belly cast can be created and pur-
chased independently of portrait ses-
sions or as part of a package.
"The mother and I decide together
how much of the belly she wants
covered, including the leg or hands,
whether they want photos of the casting
process and other options:' Must says.
"It is a collaborative and really beautiful
experience for both of us:'
When complete, the cast can be kept
as a true-to-life memento, much as par-
ents collect hand- and footprints of their
babies, for display. It can also be used as
a prop for a photo session after the baby
arrives.
"Parents often want to place the
infant inside the cast, inside the exact
form where they once lived:' Must says.
"It's pretty much a miracle:'
Jessica Jacobs, a school teacher and
yoga instructor from Birmingham
bought the service. "It was an amazing
experience, and they were both so nur-
turing and talented:' she says. "It was
so cool while they were lifting the cast
off my belly, and looking at the propor-
tions. I couldn't believe how big my
belly actually was:'

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