Reasons to Hire a Birth Photographer
I have been a birth photographer for 10+ years now and I still encounter questions and comments saying “that’s a thing?!” or “people want pictures of THAT?!” I also get a few people thinking I am saying “bird photography,” which always makes me giggle :)
Yes, birth photography is a thing - and it’s a pretty important, beautiful thing that I fall more and more in love with each and every time. Over 10 years in, I’ve now attended over 150 births and each one fills my heart in the sweetest ways! My love for this work has also led to me becoming a Certified Birth Doula (for over 5 years now)!
I refer to the work I create as “Birth Stories,” because it so much more than just the moments of baby crowning and coming into the world! Birth photography is about the full story of anticipation and mental and physical work in the hours leading to the moment of birth, and then every FIRST moment after that - the first breaths, the first cries, first looks, first touches, and every little detail of those first few hours that you’re getting to know your baby - and yourselves - in a new way, too.
Birth photography is about telling the story of the power of love.
When you hire me, you’re getting getting photos, yes, but you’re also getting the story of the love of your family (your partner, your baby, whoever you choose to have present) shown to you in a whole new way, and that is so beautiful.
Here are a few reasons you would want to hire a birth photographer to capture your birth story:
Capture every moment.
The touches and looks of your partner, the powerful way you worked through contractions, the moments of relaxation and anticipation in the hours before, the moment you lay your eyes on your baby as they take their first breaths, the first time you get to touch and smell your baby - every bit of it!
Birth has some of the most powerful and transformative moments of your lives, and having the opportunity to look through those moments forever is such a gift to yourself.
Be fully present.
Having someone experienced and knowledgeable about birth to capture it means that the birthing person and their support team (spouse, doula, partner, friend, parent, etc.) can be fully present and focused on bringing baby into the world. Then, you get to go back and SEE the love and connection and support that you received during those vulnerable, emotional moments in a professional way, and not just in a cell phone snapshot. Allowing every person on your birth team to be present and focused in each moment is a beautiful thing.
Birth is unpredictable.
It can last moments, hours, or days, and things can change at any moment. In the birth world, we often recognize how much we know…and then how these babies often humble us just when we think we can predict it all, as they just do their own thing, haha! A seasoned birth photographer can capture the story no matter what the situation.
Birth is a major life event.
Just as you would document your wedding, or family photos with nice new outfits, or birthday parties - you deserve to have these moments professionally documented, too! Labor and birth are full of such beautiful moments that unfold naturally and cannot be recreated - preserve those memories forever. These are some of the most raw and real and powerful moments of your life.
Birth is beautiful.
It’s hard work, which can make your mind fuzzy when you think back on it. Hire a birth professional to capture it all beautifully and artistically, and you can FEEL those moments each time you look back on your images. You may initially remember the pain, the fatigue, the emotions, but when you look back on your images you can see the love, the encouragement, the power, and that is a beautiful thing.
Interested in learning more?
Each birth story is different, but each one changes me in such a special way. No matter how you choose or are able to birth - that time is sacred and oh so beautiful. I would be happy to share in every bit of it and show it to you in images that you will always cherish.
