Engaging in beautiful christening photography in Cyprus is always a real blessing for me as a photographer, but when I get to experience the joy of a couple whom I have met before as they move from being newlyweds to first-time parents, my heart becomes especially full. Such was the case with this beautiful photo shoot, which took place at the Agios Georgios in the Kato Polemidia part of Limassol. I was invited to photograph the christening of Xristos and Marina’s beautiful new baby, Christina; if you have been following this blog for a while, you will know that a few years ago, I photographed Xristos and Marina’s wedding in a beautiful winery in Paphos area of Cyprus, shown here.
As you can see from the images below, baby Christina has truly made this happy young couple’s lives complete, and it’s little wonder that she has; the experience of becoming a parent is so life-changing that parents often describe it as being “born again” themselves, thrust into a world where everything is new again. From the everyday challenge of learning how to care for a tiny human being to the awe-struck realisation that one has brought a whole new life into the world, becoming a parent is a miracle both intricate in its details and profound in its implications.
Each new baby is not only a combination of his or her parents, after all, but also a fresh new seed of the divine spark—a little bit of God brought into the world, carrying unique thoughts, feelings and ideas which are destined to become interwoven with the great cloth of humanity. As an old Persian saying so eloquently states, “Children are the bridge to heaven.”
I thought of this as I photographed the reception, which was held at the Shiambelios Taverna in Limassol, with its stunning view looking out over the many twinkling lights of the city below. Each one represents another person, another family, lighting up the darkness with shared mirth, laughter, tears, and joy. Every christening is a celebration of the fact that into this great constellation, a new star has been born.
