cassandra giraldo ✺

In 2023, I got a call from @jackie.jesko & @alex.waterfield asking me if I’d be interested in spending extended periods of time in Arkansas to explore a one-of-a-kind maternity home that exclusively accommodates teen pregnancy. Their open-ended invitation promised time, long-sweeping, quality time, which is such a gift for a vérité-driven cinematographer like me, and a rare invitation these days as it turns out. With time to immerse, the story unfolded before us, without us having to force or manufacture, but to tend, to simply pay attention. Almost three years later, the result is baby/girls, a vérité feature film about teen motherhood in post-Dobbs Arkansas that I am so ecstatic to say will be having its world premiere at @SXSW 2026!! I’m incredibly proud to have served as DoP of this film in partnership with our incredible directors, the indefatigable and legendary @jackie.jesko & @alysew as well as our irreplaceable producer @melissajemmaa , who continues to nurture our relationship with our girls with so much care. I would go to the ends of the earth with this crew. This film, this film team, these girls and their families, have changed my dna as a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer. Thank you to @latchkey_films @alex.waterfield @ncapote for believing in me and us from day one and of course to the families for all your time, trust and courage. To say this work is a privilege is an understatement; it’s actually a great responsibility that we do not take lightly, one that forced each of us to look deep inside ourselves as filmmakers. We followed the plight of three young women whose stories begin in pregnancy and continue into early motherhood, all the while just trying to navigate being a teen in America. Through lived-in experience, we hope our film will guide you through the noise of reproductive politics to show the reality of generational poverty, trauma and the resilience of women. Thank you @SXSW for seeing the value in sharing these girls’ stories. I cannot wait for the world to meet Olivia, Ariana and Grace. See you in Austin! Credits Cont. in comments 💫 #sxsw2026

🗣️ANNOUNCEMENT! 🗣️ WE’RE LIVE! introducing casa ki 木 (@casa_ki_ ), a creative studio composed of @carissahenderson and @cassandragiraldo , two friends and long-time collaborators based in chicago and los angeles. together, we bring our history of award-winning filmmaking and our shared expertise in documentary cinematography to craft premium imagery that feels authentic and lived-in. with the launch of casa ki 木, we are excited to build on our branded portfolio - aligning with thoughtful partners to create resonant, meaningful work. for a list of our services, check out our official website: www.casaki.world whether you’re an existing collaborator, fellow crew member, creative lead, director, producer, editor, or friend - we’re happy you’re here! if you’re new to us and have a project you’d like to chat about, send us a note at [email protected] ✨ we’re officially open for business - booking q2 and beyond! website link in bio.

Late in announcing some amazing news because I’m still pinching myself, but I’m so excited to finally share that I’ve been selected for this year’s ASC Vision Mentorship Program 2025-26 😭 Thank you so much to @the__asc for seeing something in me & my work. This encouragement from a group of artists I look up to as heroes & masters of light is beyond meaningful to someone like me. Copies of @american_cinematographer and @jayholben ’s amazing texts decorate every room of the house and have supported me through so many stages of my career as a cinematographer. I cannot wait to learn under the great @a.full.nelson who I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting this week at the Clubhouse & who has shown me so much kindness and generosity. On a recent tour, as she told me the incredible stories behind the historical space, we stumbled upon a room where the great @johnsimmonsasc and @cl_asc happened to be in the middle of printing photo prints and setting up a new Leica camera John had acquired. Arlene kindly introduced me and then pretty quickly we were all talking to each other about our backgrounds in still photography - John started showing me his photo archive which spans the Civil Rights movement to present day, Charlie showed me his stunning collection of landscape photography, and then we discussed Arlene’s beautiful photo print and whether it needed to be warmer or if we should go into the daylight to double check… In the throws of this amazing moment with some greats, it suddenly hit me what united us - we all started as kids who love cameras. And I will never stop being that kid who loves cameras, which makes this all the more meaningful. So happy to share this moment with the other incredible mentees, some of whom I’ve admired for so long and who in their own way have taught me so much merely by doing their work, including @erynnlamont , @kathrynboydbat , @andressacor , @javierdpvelez @brook.lee.brah @teff_a @brandontran0 and so many more. Photo by @carissahenderson my partner in camera and the person who was right there with me when I chose this path. I love you! #theasc #womeninfilm #documentarycinematographersalliance #americancinematographer

SUP, 37 !!!

My name is @cassandragiraldo , I am a cinematographer based in Los Angeles, and I served as Director of Photography for the feature documentary film Baby/Girls, which just had its world premiere @sxsw . The film explores teen pregnancy in Arkansas, where birth rates are among the highest in the nation. Shot over a little more than two years in a purely vérité style, we followed three teenagers—Olivia, Grace, and Ariana—as they become mothers and attempt to break cycles of poverty, addiction, and abuse that have marked their childhoods. We meet them at a Christian maternity home, where their lives converge, and follow their diverging paths as they return home, unfolding in unexpected and deeply human ways. When I look at the finished film, I think about the countless hours off-camera that made its most pivotal moments possible. Vérité cinematography is an act of stamina, patience, and emotional presence. So much of the story’s depth comes from invisible camerawork—showing up, waiting, listening—and I’m deeply grateful to directors Alyse Walsh and Jackie Jesko, and producer Melissa Leardi, for understanding that. Their trust allowed me to move instinctively with the camera, wherever the story led, and to become a quiet bridge of trust for the girls as they shared their lives. Our approach was rooted in care and non-judgment, working alongside the rhythms of these young women’s lives and prioritizing their agency in how they were seen. So many hours and stories are not represented in the final film, but that unseen time shaped us—made us more attentive, prepared, and capable of capturing the emotional truth of each moment. That same ethos guided my technical approach. Early on, I worked with a Canon C500 MKII and L-series lenses—tools that supported a more journalistic entry point. As relationships deepened, I shifted to Canon FD primes, embracing their softness and imperfections. This subtle change brought a more intimate, painterly quality that reflects the tenderness and dignity the girls deserve. (Continued in comments)

meet the women behind our documentary feature “baby/girls” @babygirlsdocumentary @sxsw so proud to have made this film with @jackie.jesko @alysew @melissajemmaa . just about 20+ trips to arkansas and would do it all over again.

unearthing super 8 footage from my very first trips to arkansas in 2023 in honor of today’s world premiere of our documentary feature baby/girls @sxsw !! sitting with these early tender moments and impressions just in awe of how far we’ve come to make this film. congrats to our team @alysew @jackie.jesko @melissajemmaa @latchkey_films & Olivia, Ariana, Grace, and their families ✨

A moment for Altadena. Grateful for my daily view of the watchful mountains that sparkle in the morning and glow pink at sunset. The direction I look to see the moon rising. A daily reminder of a year ago today, when that view was ablaze, a source of anxiety and fear. Last January was as blurry as the photograph in the first slide… I have no documentation of these days. for the first time, I chose not to document, I chose to live something in all its contradictions and complexities. Each drive home, the mountains dramatically pull into focus and greet me, I feel peaceful in the contradictions, in the lessons and consistency they symbolize. Keep Altadena, the Palisades and LA in your thoughts today by getting in touch with nature and your home’s relationship to it. Better yet, come visit and support our small businesses and community centers. So many to count @altadenarising @eatoncanyonnaturalarea @altagether91001 @altadenaseedlibrary @altadenalibrary @altadenabev @armen_market_pasadena @sidepie_ @primepizzala @foxsaltadena @octavias_bookshelf @goodneighboraltadena @miyaonlake @ranchoaltadena @zorthianranch @thebunnymuseum 🤍

Some memories in film from our adventure in Montana for @rivianofficial with the wonderful @indigenous_led @steenamomo @airshmoo Grateful for the collaborations and trust that defined 2025. Here’s to more work that just feels like life unfolding, expanding, and true connection. Oh the things we see! First picture taken by my twin eye @carissahenderson . Stay tuned for more from us aka @casa_ki_ in 2026!

Some of our favorite frames from our short for @rivianofficial x @indigenous_led - shot on @sonycine FX9 & FX6 with @atlaslensco Mercury anamorphics and @venuslaowa macro probe. Big thanks to our friends @cameraambassador for gearing us up 🎥 In Our Nature is out now! We hope you’ll take a moment to watch and learn more about the work of @indigenousled 🦬🌾

“We recognize that a much older language is audible, if we slow and listen. A language spoken in whispers, in murmurs. A language heard on a gust of wind, a bird wing ripping open sky, hooves cleaving earth, the slap of a tail on still water.” - Cristina Mormorunni Filming on this sacred land was more than a privilege, it was a great responsibility and one we will treasure for years to come. Thank you @rivianofficial & @indigenous_led for trusting us to shine some light on your partnership through this short, and for giving us an opportunity to document the impactful conservation work being done to bring the iinii (buffalo) back to Blackfeet Nation. Cristina says it best, “through Indigenous eyes ‘conservation’ is a relationship. Conservation is a devoted practice: fierce love given expression.” We hope you’ll take a moment to watch our film (link in bio) and to learn more about the work of @indigenous_led 🌾🦬 Endless thank yous to our team below. Indigenous Led Director - @steenamomo Indigenous Led Coordinator - Latonna Spotted Eagle Indigenous Led Producer/Director - @airshmoo Production Assistant - Victoria Gardipee Blackfeet Nation Buffalo Preservation Crew Ervin Carlson Chazz Racine Lyle Rutherford Direction & Cinematography - @casa_ki_ (@carissahenderson @cassandragiraldo ) Assistant Camera - @shutup.ariel Executive Producer - @lazyjamesgrams Producer - Emilie Schwenk Creative Director - @mashmyles Creative Lead - Ian Ward Post Producer - Makailynn Clark Colorist - @clintonkhollister Audio Mixer - @__hayleykay Equipment rental - @cameraambassador

how to be a better human? laugh a lot at work 🙂‍↕️ @ted @chrisiduffy