Birth photography questions answered
Documentary birth sessions come with a lot of questions and I can understand why. Having a photographer in such an intimate setting can give many people pause, how it all works with the unknowns surrounding a birth, and the costs of these session types are all major topics when talking with anyone inquiring about birth photography. Keep reading to get more info on the what, why, and how of documentary birth sessions.
Let’s start with the why.
The day your baby is born is the most transformative day of your life. Even if this isn’t your first birth. Your whole family will change after this day. The excitement and anticipation, the profound amount of work, the loving support, and the elation and unimaginable love that comes with a new baby is all captured when you hire a birth photographer. People hire photographers to capture the most important of life’s moments…The ones we want to remember long after time has passed.
How does booking a birth photography session work? What is the first step?
First, reach out! Contact me directly here. If you are thinking about documenting your birth and are curious about working with me, we will set up some time to chat. We can facetime or phone call or even meet for coffee/tea if you prefer. There is no way around it. having someone in your birth space (especially a virtual stranger) can feel a little, well, strange. We need to make sure we are a good fit. I will answer questions and ask you a few as well before we move forward. After our meeting I will offer to share a proposal of services. Often, birth clients want more than one service and I give a package discount for maternity+birth, maternity+birth+newborn. or birth+newborn. I am happy to send a proposal with initial options so that you can see everything in one place and make decisions about what works best for you. I also accept payment plans and can lay the details of those out in the proposal as well. Once you are happy with you proposal and ready to book, you can read through and sign the agreement of services and pay your deposit all through your online proposal.
What if I have a c-section, a home birth, or what if plans have to change?
I have photographed births in homes, hospitals, and birth centers all over the greater Seattle area. If you have a scheduled c-section it is generally not an issue for me to be in the operating room to document your birth. You would just want to reach out to your care team to make sure that there haven’t been any changes to their photographer/visitor policies. Birth’s can be unpredictable and if the location of your birth needs to change that is okay. Just let me know there has been a change of plans. If you have a home or birth center birth and your midwife recommends going to the hospital for additional care, I will wait for word from your birth team and join at the hospital or wait for further instruction.
Birth photography is a financial investment. Why?
Documenting such a big life moment requires a unique dedication of time and special equipment. Think of the costs involved with wedding photography. It’s a specialized craft capturing once in a lifetime moments. You want an experienced photographer to document your wedding and a birth is no different. These sessions require your photographer to be on call the weeks surrounding your due date and with you documenting for several hours on the big day. Baby’s often come in the middle of the night and your photographer has to make sure that leaving to meet you at a moment’s notice is possible any time of day. This also means that bookings have to be limited. I currently take only one birth per month so that I don’t have any conflicting or overlapping birth’s. The equipment to document a birth beautifully also comes at a premium. Professional cameras and lenses built to capture clear and beautiful images in an often very low light setting is necessary.
You can check out more examples of my birth photography work as well as pricing and additional information about working with me here.
How will it feel having a photographer present during labor and delivery?
There is no denying that the space where you give birth is an intimate one. Having someone who is not only familiar with the environment and processes during a birth but also understands how to be respectful and aware is an important part in hiring someone to document the birth of your baby. I decided that it would be helpful for my birth photography work to take the time to train also as a birth doula. That experience has given me the additional awareness and education to be a supportive and respectful member of your birth team.
