MANSFIELD — Anyone who has taken young children to a photography studio knows how difficult it can be to get them to cooperate.
Alisha Miller tries to help her subjects by playing music, offering them natural sugar and making her studio clean and comfortable.
But Miller’s subjects don’t pose for the camera, per se — the camera is actually an ultrasound probe. But with top-of-the-line, high-definition imaging, she said her business is “basically an ultrasound photography studio.”
Apple of My Eye Imaging Studio is located in The Friendly’s Building on Lexington Avenue. The business offers 3D realistic ultrasounds and video packages starting at $99.
Miller said customers can also book a traditional black-and-white ultrasound for $50 and add a video of their session.
“The black-and-white ultrasound is a 2D scan, and the machine takes those images and puts them together to produce a 3D image,” she said. “Then, when those images come together in a video, we call it HD live.”
Apple of My Eye Imaging Studio can also perform DNA testing for a baby’s gender starting at seven weeks.
Miller was inspired to start Apple of My Eye Imaging because of her three children.
“We’ve had three babies of our own since living in Bellville and we always wanted to do the 3D ultrasound and had to go to Columbus every time,” she said. “Being able to offer this to our community is really exciting.”
Apple of My Eye also records the baby’s heartbeat and sells My Baby’s Heartbeat Bear animals as keepsakes of the recordings.
“All of our kids have heartbeat animals; it was fun trying to determine the animal for them based on their personality in the womb,” Miller said. “We’ve sold a lot of farm animals so far, and we also have sonogram frames and gender-reveal party supplies.”
Each appointment takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Miller said the best scans are usually between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy to see a baby’s facial features. She will scan anywhere from 10 to 35 weeks.
“We’ve done scans as early as 15 to 20 weeks, but the babies can almost be alien-looking at that stage of development,” she said. “And when you get further along, the baby’s probably not going to move too much.
“If their face is completely buried against the uterus, we can’t get really good images.”
Miller said she and ultrasound technician Melanie Smith encourage customers to drink orange juice or something with natural sugar in it before their appointment to help babies be more active.
She also offers evening appointments for babies who are more active later in the day. If images don’t turn out or if the baby isn’t facing the right way, Apple of My Eye lets customers come back free of charge.
“Everyone who comes in is always super excited for the baby to get here, so we’re able to help them bond a little more before they’re born,” Miller said.
The ultrasound room can fit large groups of people and Miller said the 70-inch TV screen ensures everyone can clearly see the images.
For an additional $20, customers can also buy a BabyFlix ultrasound livestream to share with family and friends.
The studio includes a photo wall for parents to pose with printed sonograms, and offers books and toys for young children.
“It’s awesome to be part of these experiences,” Miller said. “It’s just something to do for fun, it’s not required by a doctor or anything, but it can get really emotional.
“We had a woman come in who was 20 weeks into her pregnancy, and she had struggled to get pregnant for quite a while and had some miscarriages after her first baby. To be at the point they are now and then to come in and see the baby was just really powerful.”
Apple of My Eye Imaging Studio is currently open by appointment only from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It is located at 1230 Lexington Ave. in suite 201. The studio is on Facebook and can be reached at 419-823-9256 or online.
