Birth Photography

So I've had a lot of people question what birth photography is all about. 

Most people think it sounds disgusting, 

some think it's weird...

but I promise you,

it. is. magical! 

It is such a special thing for me as a photographer and for the family to be able to have those special pictures that normally would not have been snapped.

Let me explain a little of what I do in a session and how I got started for all y'all that have questions.

The first session I did was of my dear friend Ashley. See her session here. I had seen birth photography before and had been wanting to try it out for a while but how do you approach a pregnant women and say 'hey can I be there when you're babies born and snap some photos'

Yeah. That usually comes off a little weird.

Well I finally summoned the courage to ask Ashley if I could do it and luckily she had been trying to summon the courage to ask me to do it! 

It was a match made in heaven :) 

So around midnight one November evening she texted me and said that she was in labor and that baby boy would be coming sometime in the night. 

I got all my camera gear ready and kept my phone by me just waiting for the text.

It seriously was almost as exciting as being the one waiting to go in to labor. I loved it! 

Anywho- around 3 am she texted and said I better hurry down there (the hospital was an hour away) cuz she was almost complete. 

I got up, splashed some water on my face and headed on down. 

The poor thing had quite the time pushing but it was so fun for me to be there and to capture all the beautiful moments throughout her labor and delivery. 

Once that beautiful little boy was born and I was able to get those precious first shots I knew I was in hooked.

 I'd found my passion.

It was SO amazing to be a part of something so heavenly and magical and to be able to get those pictures that I knew Ashley and her husband were not thinking about taking and would treasure for the rest of their lives. 

I've been able to do 2 other births since and each time has been so wonderfully special!

So this is what I do in the sessions-

As with Ashley, I basically go on call once mommy has arrived at the hospital and is ready to have baby. We text back and forth throughout the day as to her progress so I kind of know what to plan on. Once I get the go ahead I race on down to the hospital and start snappin pictures. I love to get all the before shots like the warmer just waiting for that sweet little life to be placed in it and the room number and the nurses, etc. 

Then I focus on taking pictures of mom and dad during the labor process. I feel like this process is so special and you can really see such an amazing bond between husband and wife. It is fun to take pictures of that so that they can see that special bond later :) 

Once the pushing begins I put myself up by her head. This way I get to shoot at the angle that mom will see. Most people think they wouldn't want pictures of the pushing but it actually is pretty great to be able to look back and say 'dang I was workin hard!'

The moment baby comes out is so special. That is when my trigger finger just goes crazy! I capture babies first breath, mom's reaction, dad's reaction, the first touch, the tears, cutting the cord and everything that comes with something so special. And usually by this point I'm crying my eyes out too! 

I will then follow baby over to the warmer to get all the cute shots of their little toes and hands and the measuring and the weighing and stuff. It's so much fun! I will then stay until mom and dad are satisfied with all of the pictures. I'll take the first time holding pictures and the family shot and stuff.

And honestly, who else in the room is going to be thinking about taking all of these shots...

I've noticed that I am typically the only one who is taking pictures during these first few moments and they are such precious moments to capture! They should not go un-photographed!

That is why I love this so much! It is so fun to be able to show the pictures to the mom and dad and have them tear up because they didn't even know that moment had happened. Or in moms case she is over in the bed recovering not being able to see her little baby in the warmer and I get to be the one who takes the pictures of baby for her to see. 

It is so special.

So I hope this answers some questions. You probably won't even notice that I'm there. I hide like a fly on the wall just waiting to snap a picture of the special moments. I know birth photography is kind of a new idea and to a lot of people it seems gross and weird but I promise you it is something magical and SO special and you will not regret having me there to take these pictures.