Childbirth Photography

[tc82742]

oh, and i heard about your birth, the two births in one day.. LOL
that is my biggest fear.
im up to taking four a month.. so i know it is going to happen eventually. eek.

[toverman]

I can see the value in documenting everything, but glad my wife wasn't into this when our kids were born. Some things (IMHO) are best left to memory.

[tc82742]

no way.
the most common comment i hear is " i dont even remember that!" when they go through the images. i barely remember mine, and i have pictures. i regret that i didnt hire someone professional for my first three.
my next one will have someone, for sure!

[BabyHopes]

A birth photographer worth anything isn't just documenting a birth.

She's preserving for the Mother and child an emotional energy and memory that otherwise is lost. I know, for me, my births were tantamount to a rite of passage. Even my wedding day is eclipsed by it. For that matter, my wedding day, graduation days, and every birthday I've ever enjoyed, all rolled into one, cannot even hold a candle to the experience. Desiring to have it tastefully photographed is natural and honoring of the event that it is.

And the truth is, Tasha is right. Even without narcotics clogging up the picture, there is so much about my birth that I would have missed had I not had Lynsey there recording it for me. Pictures of my eldest daughters baking a birthday cake for their new sibling; images of my mom waiting next to me, providing support. In fact, there is one picture that really isn't of me, as much as it's an image of the tea I was drinking between contractions. It seems so silly, but it's one of my favorite from that day. Something about it just speaks to the very essence of that day.

Who knows.

I just know that if a person took the time to really listen to the response, I think you'd (general/nonspecific) find that most women want the photographs. They just feel bullied into believing it's "better they don't remember all that anyway."

[Duffy Pratt]

And how many of you have pictures of the conception?

[BabyHopes]

If by conception you mean the sexual act leading up to conception, then I'd have to say, "No, I don't have pictures of that particular union." But, had it been as amazing as the birth (just saying) it might have been worth a shot or two...

[CaptainTom]

are most birthing photographers women, or are men allowed in the room to photograph ?

[tc82742]

Tom, i dont know of any male birthing photographers. if a mom was comfortable with it, then why not? there are male midwifes out there.

[toverman]

I agree it's worthwhile for others. Just not anything I'd want to frame and hang over the mantle. My wife and I have talked specifically about videos, both agreeing it's not something we wanted to do.

After they get a bit older (mine are 5 and 1), they do so many amazing things that (for me) eclipse their births. Both were C-section, which is still a miracle but not in my mind a photo op. Believe me, they were photographed soon after their blessed arrivals and are photographed on a near daily basis.

For moms and dads who want to document the birthing process, more power to them.

[C!LLY]

I was young and shy about my first and everyone in the delivery room was a stranger except my mom, husband, and best friend and I didnt want pictures. When I had my son I wanted pictures badly because of not remembering a lot of my when my daughter was born, but I didnt want there to be any jealousy between my kids so I opted to not take actual birthing pictures when my son was born. But if I could do it over again, I would totally have had pictures taken for both-and would frame them and hang them on the wall....in the nursery.

I know that there are a lot of hospitals that dont allow pictures to be taken and they would have to throw me out if I were a mother and they didnt allow me to not have pictures of my kids' birth...but I dont like being told what to do when there is something I want to do.

[nicmowat]

i think that one needs to remember that birth photography is about more than the actual moment of birth...it's the story of the husband supporting the wife, the siblings being excited, the tears, the joy....

and yes, they aren't all photos that you'd "frame" or hang over the fireplace, but for many ladies, they are scrapbooked....

my first mom did not want photos of the actuall birth so i did up to and after. she was so thankful to me for what i captured that she #1 didn't remember, or #2 wasn't part of (baby testing, dad making phone calls...)

[Rson]

We elected for a photag to be there and it was the best money I ever spent. The moments are tastefully captured and I could do my job as the husband and not worry about getting a picture.

After all the nurses and doctors, what is one more person looking at your goods???

We used Brandi at B4photography.

http://www.b4photography.com

I had it done at Harris, how else can you capture moments like this outtake..... :)

[nicmowat]

just searching birth photography again for any new threads....after photographing several births for friends and word of mouth i'm looking to "breaking into" this market :)

it's fun to read this discussion and get excited about birth photography again!