Why would you recommend women employ a birth photographer, or have a maternity shoot done?
This might be a controversial answer but I feel it is important to answer from my heart. Capturing a birth means documenting one of the most pivotal moments a woman will ever experience. In the thick of labor you may not realize what is going on in the background. After the birth of your baby, when everything is unwinding and it is time for you to explore your birth journey, unraveling every detail of the experience, you will look over the images captured and connect the dots. It is a beautiful time and sometimes emotional to see the way your birth looked from the outside versus the cosmic experience you were encountering in your own body and mind. However, employing a birth photographer isn’t as easy as finding a photographer on the internet who’s images you swoon over. Finding the right birth photographer, to me, means finding a woman who you feel a connection with, who can document this momentous occasion for you while respecting the space. Inviting someone into your birth space means inviting the energy that they bring and something to be considered. I write about it here: To Witness Birth as a Woman
As for maternity sessions, I have had several women come to me acknowledging that they have nothing but a few selfies from their previous pregnancies, as I did with my first. Looking back, I had no idea I would one day be holding this pre-teen young lady in my arms and reminiscing the way it felt when her chubby feet were kicking my ribs from inside my womb. Now, she asks what I looked like when I was pregnant with her, I have but two images to show her, never understanding the importance of documenting those memories. Having your portraits done when you are pregnant leaves you feeling like a goddess, in lack of better words. An experienced professional photographer understands that they are a part of a special occasion and will treat it as such. And honestly, what’s better than feeling those butterflies in your tummy when you finally get your images back?! You look upon yourself, realizing the beauty that is a pregnant woman and that woman is YOU. It is called an investment for a reason. You are paying for images that will be part of your legacy and something your children will hold close to them one day.
