Meet Ana
Meet Ana — the photographer behind Faz de conta
You're not sure about this. You've been meaning to book photos for six months, maybe longer. Your youngest changed so much this year and you have four hundred phone pictures and not one you'd actually frame. But you hate having your picture taken, your partner hates it more, and the thought of a stranger telling your family to smile in unison makes you want to reschedule.
I know. That's exactly why I work the way I do.
Olá, I'm Ana
Life through my lens
I'm a Southwest Florida photographer specializing in the season of life that moves the fastest — pregnancy, new babies, and young families. My work lives in two worlds: a calm Cape Coral studio built for newborns, and the Gulf's golden-hour shorelines.
I photograph in English and Portuguese, and my favorite compliment is the same in both languages: "it felt so easy." Sessions with me are unhurried and warm — I'd rather wait for a real laugh than pose a fake one.
Ana
Faz de conta
Make believe
Every Brazilian kid knows the phrase. Faz de conta. Make believe. It's what you say right before the couch becomes a boat and the hallway becomes a jungle.
I named my studio after it, because that's the only way I've ever gotten a real photograph of a child. You cannot ask a four-year-old to look natural. You can invite her into a game, step back, and be ready.
I came to the US from Curitiba, Brazil in 2019, to study. I started photographing in my twenties — my own kids, friends' families, my sister's newborns — because I wanted to preserve the tiny, fleeting details families are usually too busy living to notice: the sleepy newborn stretches, the tiny hands, the way parents look at their children when they think no one is watching. One of the first moments that made me realise this could become more than a hobby was photographing my sister's newborn. I watched how emotional she became looking at the images, because they held a version of her baby that was already changing by the day. That stayed with me. Photography could give families something to return to long after the moment had passed.
Sixteen years and hundreds of families later, I still do it the same way. I play first. I shoot second.
How a session actually goes
We talk first, in Portuguese or English, whichever is easier for you. I ask about your family, not about your Pinterest board. I'll tell you where to be and what to wear, so you're not guessing at 6am on the day.
About ninety minutes. I don't line people up. We walk, we talk, the kids do what kids do, and I stay out of the way until something real happens. If someone melts down, that's fine — it has happened at every session I've ever shot, and some of my favourite images came right after.
Your edited gallery arrives in two to three weeks: a private online gallery with high-resolution downloads, easy sharing, and a print store for albums and wall art. Image counts depend on your collection, and you can share the gallery link with family so they can view, download and order prints directly.
- Based in Cape Coral, FL
- Travelling to Naples, Fort Myers, Siesta Beach, Orlando and surrounding areas
- Shooting for sixteen years
- Hundreds of families photographed
- Sessions in Portuguese and English
- Ten years teaching photography
Things about me that have nothing to do with photography
- I still cook pão de queijo whenever I'm homesick.
- My own family photos are mostly blurry, mostly taken on my phone, and somehow always missing one child looking at the camera.
- I have three kids, so I'm basically an expert in toddler cooperation. The official limit is five minutes—or until someone gets hungry, removes their shoes, or starts licking something.
- I'm happiest with a full house, Brazilian food on the table, and music playing in the kitchen.
- The photo I'm proudest of isn't in my portfolio. It's a completely imperfect picture of my kids together, and it's on my refrigerator.
- I can't keep a plant alive, but I can soothe a newborn.
Your children will not remember the outfits. They'll remember that everyone was laughing.
The best frame is almost never the one everyone was posing for. It's the one two seconds later.
You should be in the photos. Not behind the camera. In them.
Mothers are so often the ones taking the photos, planning the outfits, packing the snacks, fixing the hair, and making the memories happen. But years from now, your children will want to see you there too — holding them, laughing with them, loving them exactly as you are.
Faz de conta
Let's make believe together.
I keep my calendar intentionally limited, so every family gets my full attention. Check the booking calendar for current availability.
Kind Words
Client stories
Here's what families have said.
She was born to work with children. I fell in love with children's photography after I met her. My beautiful teacher.
Vivian Pires · Former photography studentWarm, charismatic, she does this with love. Nicollas felt right at home.
Dayane Leite · Children's sessionShe made my daughter's party even more special. Excellent professional, she has fun right along with the kids. She was born for this.
Sussan Santos · Birthday session