Photographing a water birth

Recently I had the privilege of photographing a water birth, not only was it my first birth, but it was the most amazing event I have ever captured. I’m sure not many moms think to have this moment captured, it is a sensitive and scary time to have a photographer in your face clicking away. Being able to take photos of that babies first breaths as she got taken up out of the water was a moment the mother will have with her forever to look back on, as anyone who is a mom knows that these precious babies grow soooo fast.

In all honesty when this mama contacted me a lot of things went through my mind. I have never been on the other side of the bed/tub, I’ve always been the one on the bed having the baby. I wasn’t sure what to expect, will I pass out, will I get nauseous, will the baby come out healthy, will I get the right shot? I agreed to the session as I didn’t know if I would ever have this opportunity again. I showed up at the hospital, the lights were all down low….nurses scurrying about. It was calm and peaceful and I felt at ease and ready to do my job. Mom was already in the tub and in early stages of labor. As she was breathing through contractions with the help of her doula, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “This women is a super hero” there is no way I could ever have delivered my four babies without an epidural.

As time went by she was ready to push, seeing the baby crowning was so mind blowing, that with every push I could see the little head coming out further. Once the baby was out and pulled from the water, I couldn’t help but tear up as she was put onto mamas chest and was getting cleaned off. Such a tender moment that took me back to the births of all of my babies. Holding and seeing your baby that you’ve waited so long to see.

This experience was something I would love to do again. I will always cherish that time, being able to see life brought into the world.

Why you should use a professional photographer

When I became a photographer, and I mentioned to people what I do for a job, the typical response was, “ Oh, I know someone does photography.” Well if you think about it, anyone can “do” photography with such advanced digital cameras on the market now, you can take it out of the box and put it on auto setting and go to town. The difference between “doing” photography and being an actual professional is huge.

More goes into photography than just holding up a camera and pressing a button. A lot goes into the thought process of a single photoshoot, whether it’s a family session, newborn session or a session for a one year old. I have to think about location, lighting, composition, posing, angles, staging, props, etc. So when I hear that your “Aunt Betty” or a friend is going to take photos because he or she has a nice camera, I always cringe. Most likely, “Aunt Betty” has no idea about any of the things that I mentioned above, which are all extremely important for an amazing photo. Learning all of these techniques takes some time to master, and there is a lot of trial and error over the years. Knowing how to do all of theses techniques is what makes a keepsake photograph and an excellent photographer.

So next time you're thinking about hiring a professional photographer or having “Aunt Betty” or some other friend take your family photos, remember all of what goes into a quality photograph designed to last a life-time.

First Blog Post

So in this post I just wanted to talk a bit about a photographer who inspires me. The photography industry is incredibly competitive and at times it’s hard to find a local photographer who actually wants to help you grow and improve due to competition. This photographer is out of Australia. She is super duper successful. Her name is Kelly Brown. She is one of the best newborn photographers around. She travels all over the world teaching workshops and inspiring others. For my birthday this year I was able to purchase two of her training videos. When photographing newborns there is a lot to think about. Safety is the number one most important. Then there’s lighting, posing, props, wraps, outfits etc…Kelly has videos on all of these. Just since watching the two I have learned so much. After every photoshoot I strive to become better and do better than the last shoot. I’m always looking to improve and come up with new creative ideas.

Most photographers look up to someone or strive to have their work be similar to others. Every photographer is unique in their own way, but when you want your work to be similar to someone famous it becomes a bit challenging.