3 reasons why your birth photographer shouldn’t be your husband

I get asked all the time why someone would hire a birth photographer?

A birth photographer? What’s that?

Can’t my husband take pictures?

What about my family?

Do I need pictures?

I don’t know that I want to see all….THAT (while gesturing vaguely in the direction of their nether regions).

Sound familiar?

I get it. Birth is super normal so it shouldn’t be a big deal for someone to stop what they’re doing and snap a few quick pictures with their camera phone right?

WRONG

Birth is normal and birth is HECTIC. There are so many things going on and let me tell you, the last thing on your mind is stopping to grab your phone, open the camera app, make sure it’s not facing you for an untimely selfie, and then snap some photos. There’s lots of noise, people moving around, people saying push and breathe, and chin to chest and pull your legs back and so many other things going on at the same time. Honestly, half the time, you won’t even know who is doing what.

And in birth, so much can happen in the matter of a few minutes. One minute, you’re pushing your baby and the next minute baby is born! It really does happen THAT fast.

Trust me when I say that getting out your phone to take pictures will be the last thing on your mind.

And well, quite frankly, that’s not what you or any of your loved ones should be doing either. You should all be taking in the moment of meeting this new little baby.

Still not convinced, let’s talk about it some more!

1. My only job is to take pictures

I am dedicated to documenting memories and that’s it.

That’s literally the only thing I am there to do.

I’m not there to hold hands or legs or catch babies or be a cheerleader – though I certainly can be one if you need me to. I’m not there to monitor your progress or move around monitors. I am there to capture the moments as they happen so that you can cherish the memories later.

New parents – whether it’s your first baby or 5th – get so caught up in the delivery that they need to recount their birth story over and over again to cement the memories. I hear it all the time when viewing birth images, “Oh I don’t even remember that?” What better way to cement the story than with amazing, non invasive portraits done by someone who is trained to help capture your birth story?

2. I know what I’m doing

I’m basically a ninja (true story) –  I move around you, your support team, and the care providers in order to capture the details. I help tell your story – the whole story. Not just the big moments, but the little ones too. The room details, what you snacked on, who visited you, all of it. Birth photographers are just that, story tellers.

Birth photographers are highly trained professionals – we know the “logistics” of birth, how to interact with the medical staff, how to use flash effectively without bothering them. Trust me, this is a big one if you are thinking of taking your own pictures. We are trained to deal with a variety of lighting situations which your cell phone isn’t. I know exactly how and when to bring in artificial lighting to produce clear, sharp and beautifully colored images.

But birth photography, that’s all about taking pictures of my vajayjay isn’t it?

Well, I can honestly say in 8 years of doing this, roughly 10 births a year, I have only photographed crowning images (aka The Crotch Shot) for MAYBE five women. And it was at their explicit request.

Sure, that baby coming out is the main act, but there is so much more around the room that deserves to be photographed at that moment, which gets me to my next point

3. Your loved ones can be in the moment & in the photographs

By giving you the confidence that someone is dedicated to photographing your birth, you can be confident that your support team (husband, doula, family, friends) can be 110% present with you during your birth journey and the golden hour.

Little glimpses into your story can’t be told if the actors are also behind the lens

Things like your husbands hand on your back while he helps you to push and roots you on like it’s the Super Bowl.

Your sister holding your foot and realizing her niece has a head of jet black hair.

The doula wiping your face with a cold wash cloth to cool you down.

Family rallying around you as you give that final push to bring your baby earth side.

The moment you look at your baby and realize that YOU. DID. THIS.

Those moments can’t be captured if people are worried about cell phone pictures.

BONUS – I really want us to be friends… maybe not BFFs… but at least the kind who goes out for tacos….

Many moms is that they don’t want another person in the room with them. I can assure you, most of the time, people forget that I’m there. I want all of my clients to feel like I am just another friend in the room. This is why I meet all of you in person, usually more than once before baby is born. My goal is to build a relationship where you know that you can trust me to have your best interest at heart on your special day.

My goal is that you feel comfortable with me as a person, but also the process of documenting your story. Birth photography is an investment into memories. I want you to have peace of mind and confidence that your story will be told in a way that respects your privacy and family.

But it costs soooooo much…

You’re right, it does. It definitely is an investment you need to consider early on in your pregnancy. This is why I offer payment plans and baby registry. It helps break the cost down over a longer period of time.

When it comes to price, the one thing I can say without a shadow of a doubt,  is I’ve never heard someone ever say they regretted birth photos.

They may have regretted not getting them, or getting someone who is unexperienced in this type of photography, or worse someone who simply didn’t show up. But never have I heard someone regret their birth photos. 

When your baby grows and doesn’t fit into the crook of your arm anymore, what will matter more? That Pinterest worthy nursery or seeing the look on your face the first time you laid eyes on that baby girl with the most unexpected head of red hair? That high speed top of the line car seat stroller combo or being able to re-live the first time your husband held his son and realized they share the same chin?

One day, your children will ask you about the day they were born. Don’t just try to recall faded memories, show them beautiful pictures to tell the story.

Proud to be a member of the Military Birth Source Network and well as the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers