A Grab Bag of Thoughts on Birth Photography

If you’re new here, you might not know that I was a birth photographer before I was any other thing in the “birth world.”

Before that I was a family photojournalist sort of photographer. The raw, unscripted, unposed stories of people’s authentic lives together at home has always captivated me, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to apply that to a birthing space. Except for the living on-call bit. And the complete and utter lack of ability to plan for ideal lighting. 🤣 In those ways, birth photography stretched me as a photographer and demanded some upgrades to my equipment!

I have also hired someone to photograph all 6 of my own home births. So it’s safe to say that I will also put my money where my mouth is regarding the value of this service.

Are you considering hiring a birth photographer or simply inviting a camera-bearing pal to attend your birth and take some photos? I’d like to share some perspective as both a birthing mama and as a birth photographer that may help you guide you decision about whether to include birth photography in your plans (and budget)!

Profound snippet from main topic.

In no particular order…

1. The birth story photo books filled with the images made at each of my births are highly treasured over here at my house, both by me and by my children who want to see and hear their birth stories each year on their birthdays. It’s really powerful to be able to share with a child their “origin” story, and it makes them feel so special. Not only that but revisiting one’s own moment of hard work and triumph in birth via photographs of you doing it is a great affirmation of one’s capabilities.
2. It’s honestly a luxury item. When working with a limited budget, it’s not going to make the cut; the midwife, the doula, and the birth supplies are going to be prioritized before the birth photographer. And that’s as it should be. Honestly, I’d rather you put your money toward that which will help your birth process to go well than on getting gorgeous photographs of it. Even just getting some photos on an iPhone will be special. For more on the pricing of professional birth photography, ​go here​.
3. Not every talented photographer is a good birth photographer. This is because birth photography requires not just technical skill, professional equipment, and “the eye”… it also requires knowing how to be with birth and how to occupy a birth space respectfully and without disruption, as well as a knowledge of the birth process that enables the photographer to anticipate and be on top of each moment as it unfolds. This might be why many birth photographers who are serious about their jobs also go get doula training! Oh, and it also requires that the photographer is able to live her life on call so that she can reliably be available when you call her!! So if you’re looking for one, make sure she has the birth attendance skillset in addition to the photographer skill set.
4. It can conflict with the goal of undisturbed birth. Undisturbed usually is pretty closely linked in with unobserved, and a camera automatically invites observation. Sometimes complete with firing flashes (I do NOT use a flash, but many do). You ARE being watched. But you aren’t being watched in an assessing, evaluating, emergency-anticipating, managing way. A good birth photographer is simply with you, immersed in the energy of your space, allowing herself to feel it all and to truly see the story as it unfolds through eyes of love with deep reverence. I think who is holding the tool of observation (aka the camera) has a lot to do with whether or not the observation is disruptive.
5. You can keep them private if you want to. There’s lots of my work — of which I am dang proud — that won’t ever see the light of day. Why? Because my birth photo clients get to sign a customized model release in which they stipulate which sorts of images I can share in which places and for what uses. They can also check a box that says essentially, “none of the above. Don’t show anyone, ever.” That has to be ok, because birth is intimate and sacred and isn’t anyone’s business unless you want to make it their business. So the flip side of that is that many of the women I work with are proud and pleased to have photos from their births “out there” helping to inform the collective consciousness about birth and allowing others to see what it can look like and imagine what it feels like. I think that’s such a gift that they give to the rest of us and it matters a lot.
6. Birth photography is changing the way that we see birth as a culture, and in mostly positive ways. It’s helped to normalize home birth and natural birth. It’s raised awareness about problematic or simply undesirable/unpleasant aspects of birth inside the hospital system. It’s shown women that effort and pain and blood and sweat and tears poured out to bring a baby into the world is BEAUTIFUL and, frankly, pretty badass. It’s shown the world how powerful women are and what a rite of passage they’re going through in birth.
7. The shadow side of point number 6 is that sometimes it’s almost too pretty. Picture-perfect birth spaces and women clad in lacy bralettes paired with the omission of some of the more grueling or complicated parts of the story can erroneously lead women to believe that birth is something quite different than what it is, setting them up for disappointment or discouragement. I’m hearing midwives lament this lately: how unrealistic the expectations of some new mothers are, in part because of social media and the photographs used to portray labor and birth. Just know that for every pristine image, there is almost guaranteed to be some difficult or messy detail that doesn’t show up in that image.

Conclusiom: If you can afford it, go for it. You won’t ever regret it. Just carefully choose who will play this role.

West Michigan mamas, please consider me for this role at your birth.