I love images that capture not only the moment, but that also capture a deeper emotion – and few photographers can really do that well. Recently my friend Melissa had her newborn’s photos taken by an artist in Orlando. The images were stunning and definitely befitting such a gorgeous mother and child. I had to discover the woman behind the lens.

Erica D’Antona has been capturing the world on film since before she can remember. Growing up in northern Idaho, she saw beauty all around her and started building albums of her work at the age of ten. Her grandmother gave her her own first ‘real’ camera at the age of fifteen and, having been home schooled, she would use the freedom to travel and escape to the mountains for day-long snowboarding and photo trips.

In 2000 Erica moved to Orlando and married in 2003. She attended college at the Miami International University of Art and Design before becoming a mom to two sons. Shortly after the birth of her first son, she decided to pursue photography as a career and opened her studio in 2007. Erica is mostly self-taught, with endless hours of experience under her belt.

Her love for photography is what drives her. “It’s not a job to me, it’s my life. I love capturing expressions, smiles, and frowns on children and babies. I love to capture the warmth and love of a family in my Cherish sessions. I take tissues with me when I photograph a wedding. I’m not just a photographer, I get to become a part of my clients’ lives for a short while. I want to take photos that they can pass on to generation after generation and I want you to feel the photo, not just see it.”

Erica lives in Orlando with her husband Dana, her four year old son Carmine and her one year old son Cruz. For more information on her work, visit her website at www.ericadphoto.com.