You may think that the last thing you want at your birth would be someone running around with a camera, photographing all the intimate details, but here are some reasons you should reconsider.
1) It can help you have a good grasp on the events that took place. It’s easy to look at birth and think you’d remember every second of it. How could you not? The funny thing is, your focus is on nothing else but finding that zone inside yourself where the warm fuzzies live. A good birth photographer will have great shots of each location and memorable moment, in the order the events took place. It’s nice to have something to reference, when you need a reminder of what happened and when. Birth photography helps fill in all the little gaps and adds an extra level of immersion to the story by giving a visual aid
2) Your friends or husbands equipment and knowledge for this kind of thing is probably not that good. Sorry, I know. That sounds mean, but it tends to be true. Birth photographers have gear meant to capture low light situations in the most elegant way possible. We are constantly thinking things like, “my subject is pushing, I could run out of memory, and miss the big entrance…better reload!” Has your friend or husband been to a birth? Do they know how to read the subtle moments where a laboring mama needs some space and time to progress? Do they have the equipment and knowledge that it takes to get the shot, no matter the circumstance? Chances are, the answer to most, (if not all) of these questions is, no.
3) No matter how much time members of your birth team think they have to take photos, they won’t have much as much as they think. I totally did this with my first birth. I thought I could set up a tripod and my husband or anyone in the room could just click the shutter. None of that happened. The camera never left the bag. When you have a baby, it is rarely the way you envision it in your head. The entire process can be just as unpredictable for dad, as it is for mom. While there may be plenty of time during labor to capture some beautiful moments, there is most likely very little when it comes to the pushing phase. That’s go time and the best place for the birth support is supporting mom, not taking pictures. That’s what birth photographers are for.
4) A New Perspective. There’s something really interesting about watching your own birth. It’s like you get a glimpse of what it felt like as the husband or a family member. When I had my second, it was a tough birth and I had a lot of negative feelings during the birth; feelings of fear and apprehension. Seeing the images helped me come to terms with the event in a new way. The feelings that were caught on camera were feelings of true effort followed by intense joy. I have had clients who ended up with unexpected c-sections who were afraid to see their photos because they didn’t get the birth they originally envisioned. However, seeing beautiful photography changed their outlook and gave them the closure they needed. That new perspective can change everything.
5) It’s a once in a lifetime moment. I know. Duh, but allow me to elucidate. Many people view their wedding as the most important day of their life. For me personally, it was my birth. I could have a million weddings and not reach the intensity or the emotional and physical elation I felt after my children were born. People are beginning to see the value of having professional quality images from their birth. The service is truly priceless. If you hire a dependable, experienced professional, you won’t regret it. The old adage “you get what you pay for” most definitely applies in birth photography.
6) Wouldn’t you love to see the day your were born? I know I would. I would love to see my mom’s face while she labored. I would probably cry when I saw her emotions right after I came out. I know that viewing those images would probably strengthen our relationship. It would also be a healthy reminder that I was once her baby and that she once had the same feelings I do about being a mother – the feeling of loving someone unconditionally and putting everything into another human being.
Birth photographers want you to have that perfect moment where you meet your baby and we want to photograph you looking amazing while you do it. We want to empower and we want to inspire. I believe that hiring a birth photographer is an essential addition in creating a well oiled machine of a birth team.
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Nicole is a maternity and birth photography currently working in DFW.. You can find more of her work at baileynicolephoto.com