Dr. Michael McMahan, neonatologist at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, started dabbling in photography back in the late 1980’s while traveling as a medical missionary in countries like China, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru. Once he started his career at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, his hobby evolved into medical photography used for teaching purposes, documenting unique cases and findings.  

He continued this practice at Orlando Health in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women back in 1995, when, while taking medical photos, parents would ask him to also take some cute shots of their babies for them to take home. Today, those cute photographs have turned into coveted holiday photos, an idea created by the Patient and Family Care Counsel in 2008, of NICU babies with their parents, siblings, grandparents, etc.  

“It’s really so much fun,” explained Dr. McMahan. “I love doing the multiples, because it’s such a challenge to try and get three or four babies at one time. At the end of the photo shoots, we can have close to 140 family portraits depending on how many babies are in the NICU. This is one of my favorite times of the year at the hospital.”