Capoeira maternity photoshoot with Agni & Leonardo

Both sets of grandparents are wildly excited about meeting Agni and Leonardo’s imminent arrival, but unfortunately will have to wait a little longer to meet him or her, due to current travel restrictions.

That’s because Agni is Greek, while Leonardo is Brazilian. They met in Brazil at a Capoeira event. They trained together and the conversation felt so natural. After three days she had to return home, but they kept in contact via WhatsApp. The shared so much and so regularly that when Agni recently printed out their early conversations, the words filled hundreds of pages, enough to create a thick book.

But Leonardo lived in Brazil, and she in Greece, so it looked unlikely that anything further would develop.

That is, until Agni mentioned that she applied for a job in Oxford, England. Leonardo decided to see if there were any job opportunities that matched with his own skills and experience, and to his delight, found one in the area. He got the job and they moved in together.

Everything still felt so natural and easy. They joined the local Capoeira community and got married in Oxford shortly after.

Two and a half years later, they are about to embark on a whole new adventure together: parenthood. They came over to my Bicester studio for a capoeira-themed maternity photoshoot* and wow, we had a LOT of fun.

In describing Leonardo in one word, Agni picked a Brazilian adjective which translates as ‘silly’. But it’s a playful, joyful type of silly.

That’s the aspect of Capoeira that first appealed to Leonardo. He had tried martial arts before but everything was incredibly strict and structured. Capoeira suits his free spirit more, as it’s playful, fluid and more loose in structure.

It also boasts an incredibly strong sense of culture and community. Participants sing and dance together, as well as learning about Brazilian history and vocabulary as part of their training. This social and educational side means it’s great for mental health as well as the obvious physical benefits.

Between them, they have about 24 years of experience in Capoeira, and it’s not the only skill they share. They both have an advanced knowledge of engineering, she in chemical and he in biomedical fields. In fact, I felt my IQ increase simply by being in the same room as their collective brainpower!

On top of degrees, PhDs, and Capoeira skills, this impressive mum-to-be also speaks six languages (and is quickly learning her seventh, Brazilian). Not only that, but she can knit, too. She’s currently working on a blanket for the baby to use, so we included it in a couple of the shots, with the intention of including it again when baby arrives (“I better hurry up and finish it, then!” Agni laughs).

Indeed, with just three weeks left until baby is due, those needles will be flying through the wool to get the blanket ready ahead of their new arrival 🙂

If you’re interested in maternity photography in and around Bicester and/or Oxfordshire, please get in contact.

Sarah Plater LMPA is an award-winning, fully qualified maternity photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire. She is the Master Photographers Association Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).

*Maternity and newborn shoots simply aren’t a thing in Greece, only wedding and Baptism photography. Agni told me she was initially quite confused when Leonardo started asking when they were going to book in for photos. However, Leonardo told me that he “didn’t want to miss capturing this moment,” so I’m glad he talked Agni round!

Find out more about Capoeira and pregnancy here.