There's something truly special about documenting moments that are steeped in tradition and cultural significance. Recently, I had the honor of photographing a Ukrainian Orthodox baby baptism for the Savochka family at the All Saints Ukrainian Church in the vibrant East Village. It was a captivating experience filled with meaningful rituals and deep-rooted customs that have been passed down through generations.

The ceremony began with the Sacrament of Holy Unction, where the priest anointed the baby with holy oil, then the child was undressed and immersed three times in the baptismal font; each immersion represents the child's union with Christ's death and resurrection. The godparents play a vital role throughout the ceremony, supporting the child during the baptism and holding a white garment symbolizing purity and spiritual rebirth.

After the baptism, the priest performed the Sacrament of Chrismation, anointing the baby with holy chrism. This anointing signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit and the child's full incorporation into the Orthodox Church.

Here are some of my favorite images from this shoot (click/tap to view full-size and un-cropped):

To see more examples of this style of photography, visit my religious ceremonies gallery >>

All images in this blog post were shot on a Nikon D850, using a Nikkor 70-200mm zoom lens, all individually post-processed in Adobe Lightroom.

Jinnifer Douglass is a full-time freelance photographer based in NYC, shooting both digital and film for individuals and brands such as Google, Door Dash, Make Up For Ever, Squarespace, and more! Specializing in portraits, food, and special events, she works to make every piece of your social and website content ‘Insta-worthy’ with high resolution, full-frame DSLR photography and expert Lightroom editing. Interested in chatting? Leave a comment below, or send an email to hello@jinyc-photo.com!