Having your birth photographed is something I promise that you will be able to embrace for the rest of your life and your child will be able to embrace for the rest of theirs. Did you read THIS part of the blog? Did you see the video? Now let’s get to the basics: The first thing you need to know is that I approach documenting birth in a very photojournalistic way. I have and show the utmost respect for everyone in the room, parents and birthing staff (whether it be doctors, nurses, doulas or midwives). I will photograph tender moments of the labor process, little details that might otherwise go un-noticed. I am a step back, observing the events as they unfold and staying out of the way. I never use flash so most of the photos no one has noticed I’ve taken. I photograph the baby within seconds of he/she making his/her arrival once they are out of momma. I do not photograph a birth as the baby is being delivered through the birth canal. I approach birth as modestly as possible and do not photograph nudity. I may get some photos of momma nursing baby, but again, as modestly as possible with little to no breast being visible. The main focus of my attention once baby arrives is baby and anyone who interacts with baby.
For natural (anything non-csection) births, I arrive during labor and stay for about an hour after birth. Every birth is different and I gage each one as mom is progressing. Therefore, I don’t set a time limit on how long I’ll be in attendance so no one stresses out about time running out and baby isn’t here. But, just because I’m there, I won’t be shooting every minute if labor is progressing slowly. We’ll cover all those details in our consultation as well as when to call me and so forth.
I am on call 24 hours a day. It does not matter what time you go into labor, you call me. It does not matter if it happens to fall on a holiday, you call me. If we’ve booked your due date, I make sure I am in town for at least the 2 weeks prior to your date and 2 weeks after. I put my life on hold for you. And I always have a back up professional photographer on call in the unlikely event that it is physically impossible for me to be there or to be there.
There are A LOT of questions and answers that we go over in our in-person consultation. Some you might find in the FAQ section. If you have more, be sure to write them down and bring them to our meeting.
