Vicki is the amazing birth photographer that won the 2012 Image of the Year Competition.  You can view more images and the complete birth story of the family in the winning image here.

Tell us a little about yourself….married? children? pets?

I am a mother of 3 and one on the way and wife to a wonderful man named Bobb. My kids are 7, 5, and 3. We have a rambunctious lab puppy that we named Zuko after the cartoon Avatar. We are a geeky family that loves to play Xbox, board games, and I actually met Bobb on a online role-playing game called Everquest back in 2000. I’m currently working through Battlestar Galactica (new) for the third time.

Prior to getting pregnant, I was helping families with an organization called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. We provide bereavement photography. I plan to start that up again after I have my little one. It’s a strange thing to be doing births while doing NILMDTS sessions. The emotions are so strong and overcoming. If you are reading this and think you could help the organization, please do! There are always sessions that don’t get taken because of there are not enough photographers and other volunteers to do them.

How long have you been in business?

I started taking on paying clients in October 2010

Canon or Nikon? What is your most used lens while photographing a birth?

Canon | 35mm 1.4L

Did you / Will you / Would you have one of your own births photographed?

I had my first two babies in the hospital and they didn’t allow photography during the actual birth and I didn’t fight it. The photos I do have actually don’t bring happiness for me. I had my third baby at home and don’t have photos of the birth except in early labor because my husband was the only one here with me and he was watching our children and supporting me as best he could.

For this upcoming birth, I have not decided. I’ll already have my midwife, midwife assistant, 2 doula friends, and my own family. I’m 17 weeks now so I have a little while to decide.

What drew you to photograph births?

A friend of mine, Maggie Glovatski, asked me to photograph her birth. It was so nerve-wracking, I was so worried about missing the best shots. But Maggie had the most calm and amazing hypnobirth that I just had to do it again. I know I certainly didn’t look that good during my natural birth! I also love the energy of women and the power that flows from the birthing mama. And of course, who could resist squishy babies and being there for their first moments?

So far, I have only photographed homebirths because of my own personal experiences, but I am hoping to expand to hospital births as well.

Tell us about a favorite moment you experienced while photographing a birth.

My favorite moment during all the births I have covered has to be Moonbeam’s birth. Just before I took the photo that won 1st place for 2012, Sona, the mama, was exclaiming, “I dreamed this and it’s happening!” She had dreamt of tandem nursing 2 children right after birth just before finding out she was pregnant with her second child. That moment was so emotional for me and for her. Really, that whole birth was really amazing. She had a really bad experience that ended in a c-section with her first so when she got her HBAC, it was awesome.

Vicki, thank you for sharing your beautiful work.  Congratulations on your winning photograph, your clients are truly blessed by your talent.

Our Judge panel had a very difficult job in narrowing down the winners this year!  Winners were chosen on a point system and judged on technicality, emotionality and composition.  While we had clear 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, our Honorable Mention spot had 3 photos receive the exact same number of points by the judge panel.  So, we will be awarding 3 Honorable Mentions this year.

Thank you to our Judges, they did a wonderful job and we are appreciative of their time and efforts!  And, of course, thank you to each and every person who took the time to vote for the People’s Choice Award!

Congratulations to all the winners!

1ST PLACE WINNER
The Memory Box Photography

2ND PLACE
Miracle Moments Birth Photography

3RD PLACE
Emily Weaver Brown Photography

HONORABLE MENTION
Emily Robinson Photography

HONORABLE MENTION
Kimberlin Gray Photography

HONORABLE MENTION
Lindsey Kliewer Photography

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Canary Lane Photography

You can see all the beautiful entries here:  2012 International Association of Professional Birth Photographers Image of the Year Competition

GO VOTE!

WHO MAY ENTER

You must be a current member of the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers.  If you are not a member, and would like to join, you can do so here.

HOW TO ENTER

**The 2012 Competition is now closed.  Please check back on Monday, January 28, 2013 to vote!**

Click the Enter button to submit your photograph.  Please be sure to read the guidelines below as well as the Official Rules, Terms and Conditions included on the entry form.

Winners will be determined as follows:

1st Place Winner
2nd Place
3rd Place
Honorable Mention
People’s Choice Award

The 1st Place Winner will have the opportunity to be published in Midwifery Today Magazine, at the discretion of the member.  Additionally, the winning image will be featured on the front page of Birthphotographers.com and the photographer’s work and profile will be featured in a blog post and on facebook.

All competition winners will receive an International Association of Professional Birth Photographers badge to display on their website reflecting their accomplishment.

The Peoples Choice Award will be determined by popular vote.  Members may request their clients, friends, family and fans to vote for their image.  Members may not pay, barter or reward in any way a person who votes for their image.  Voting is limited to one vote per person.  Images will be numbered and displayed on birthphotographers.com with a voting system.  The total number of votes for the competition and the Peoples Choice Award will be shared at the end of the competition.  Only the Peoples Choice Award will be determined by the popular vote, all other winners will be chosen by the Judges.  It is possible for the Peoples Choice Award to also receive a winning submission as determined by the Judges.

All entries must be submitted and received by Friday, January 25, 2013 at 11:59:00 p.m. CST.  Voting will open on Monday, January 28, 2013 and continue until the close of the competition on Friday, February 1, 2013 at 11:59 pm CST.  Winners will be announced in February once the votes have been received from the judges and tallied.

• Each entry consists of an entry form and one birth photograph.
• You must complete an entry form with the required information, including your name, address, telephone number, email address, and release.
• Only one photograph may be submitted per member.
• Once your entry and image have been submitted, that submission is final and images may not be swapped out or replaced.
• Images must be in digital format only.
• All digital files must be 1 MB or smaller and in JPG format.
• Images must be no greater than 600px x 400px.
• The photograph must have been taken within the 2012 calendar year, January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.
• Black and white or color images are acceptable.
• The photograph must be a single work of original material taken by the member.  By entering the competition, the participant acknowledges that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the member and that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights of any person or entity.
• Small, non-obtrusive watermarks are acceptable. The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers reserves the right to ask members to reduce the size of the watermark if we feel it is to large or takes away from the overall image and presentation.  If we do not receive an edited image upon request within 24 hours the entry will be disqualified.  You may re-enter the same image with the adjusted watermark if it is submitted before the end of the competition deadline as stated below.
• Upon request, each member must be prepared to provide a signed release from all persons who appear in the photograph submitted authorizing the photographer and its authorized parties to reproduce, distribute and display the entry in connection with the competition. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification at any time during the competition and selection of an alternate winner.
• Each member that enters an image must read and agree to the Official Rules, Terms & Conditions on the entry form.
• Each entry will judged separately by the panel of Judges based on creativity and photographic quality.  In the event of a tie, the tied entries will be re-submitted to the Judges for a re-judging between the tied entries alone.  Decisions of the judges are final.
• Winners will be notified by email.

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2012 International Association of Professional Birth Photographers Image of the Year Competition Official Judges

JACQUELINE TOBIN

Jacqueline Tobin is the Editor-in-Chief of Rangefinder. Previously, she was the executive editor of Rangefinder, and before that she worked at Photo District News for 26 years, as managing and then deputy editor. She is the author of two books: Wedding Photography Unveiled: Inspiration and Insight From 20 Top Photographers (Amphoto Books, 2009); and The Luminous Portrait (Amphoto Books, 2012), on photographer Elizabeth Messina’s photography. Jacqueline loves reviewing photographers work at portfolio reviews during The Palm Springs Photo Festival at PhotoPlus Expo in Manhattan each year, as well as at WPPI Las Vegas, and various WPPI road shows and University events throughout the year. She currently lives in New York City, loves to spoil her 5 nieces and nephews, is a huge movie buff, and fell in love with making photographs and processing black-and white film in her dad’s darkroom when she was a kid.

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MICHELLE KANE

Hailing from the beautiful state of Wyoming, Michelle Kane is the developer of photo editing tools for photographers. Her robust Photoshop actions are editing staples for thousands of photographers around the world. Michelle has been featured in various photography publications, as well as served as a contributor to a number of online photography sites. She occasionally photographs clients and models, but spends most of her time blogging free editing tutorials, articles, and how-to videos. She enjoys sharing her photography and editing knowledge with others and strives to be a blessing to others through her work.

Michelle Kane Photography + Actions
Michelle Kane on Facebook

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PEGGY O’MARA

Peggy O’Mara founded Mothering.com in 1995. She was the editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine from 1980 to 2011. The author of Having a Baby Naturally; Natural Family Living; The Way Back Home; and A Quiet Place, Peggy has lectured and conducted workshops at Omega Institute, Esalen, La Leche League International, and Bioneers. She is the mother of four.

Peggy O’Mara on Facebook

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ANGIE ARTHUR

Angie Arthur, along with Amy Lucurto, are the founders of I Heart Faces. As moms, their photography journey began by being centered around their children… and the wonderful emotions that their faces convey. In late 2008, they realized there was no website focused on sharing photos of beautiful and unique faces. That’s when the idea for I Heart Faces was born!

Amy & Angie are passionate about teaching and inspiring women to be creative and follow their dreams. See Angie and Amy on My Craft Channel this fall as they host their very own show with tips and tricks about photography!

I Heart Faces on Facebook
I Heart Faces on Twitter
I Heart Faces on Pinterest

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JAN TRITTEN

Jan Tritten is the founder, mother and editor-in-chief of Midwifery Today magazine and a midwife who was in active practice from 1977–1989. She became a midwife in 1977 after the powerful home birth of one of her daughters. Her mission is to make loving midwifery care the norm for birthing women and their babies throughout the world. She does this by organizing Midwifery Today conferences around world as well as publishing the magazine.  One of her favorite tasks is to look at photos of mothers and babies and births so she is honored to participate in this competition.

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JENNIFER BLOCK

Jennifer block is a journalist frequently covering women’s health and reproductive justice. She is the author of Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care, which was named a “Best of” by Kirkus Reviews.

www.jenniferblock.com

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LYNN WOLF

Since the birth of her first child in 2006, Lynn has completed doula trainings with DONA International, Yoga Birth Method and Hypnobabies, and is a certified yoga instructor through Core Power Yoga, in addition to completing over 100 hours of additional prenatal specific yoga instructor training.  She has also been working with Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein –  documentary film makers of the landmark “The Business of Being Born” and “More Business of Being Born” in the role of Marketing Director/Website Administrator since 2010.  Currently, Lynn is studying to be a Certified Nurse Midwife.

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LAURA WINSLOW

Laura is a nationally published photographer in Phoenix, Arizona known for her modern, fresh and colorful approach to photography. Her work has appeared in such publications as Professional Photographer Magazine, BabyTalk magazine, Celebrate Magazine and on HGTV.com, among others. Laura is honored to have been a featured photographer in ads for MpixPro. She travels often for sessions and will be visiting many major cities throughout the U.S. in 2013 for sessions in addition to offering workshops in Phoenix.

Laura Winslow Photography
Laura Winslow Photography Blog
Laura Winslow on Facebook

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JILL KRAUSE

Jill Krause is the voice behind BabyRabies.com, where she chronicles life after baby fever became baby rabies, leaving her with no choice but to become a mom. She’s now mother to two, and has another on the way. Jill tries to write candidly, with a sense of humor about life as a mom. She also likes to focus on photography, and using it to document and share all the small and ordinary details of family life she knows she’ll miss the most 20 years from now. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest too.

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KEVIN KUBOTA

Kevin Kubota opened Kubota Photo Design Inc. in 1990 as a wedding and portrait studio. Kubota Photo Design is now the umbrella company for Kubota Image Tools, Asuka Book USA and Red Boot Design. All these companies work together to help professional photographers Capture, Enhance, and Present their images at the highest professional level.  Kevin’s official title is Idea Guy, having professionally photographed, created software, authored books, and taught workshops worldwide while running his four successful companies. He originated the widely-popular Digital Photography Bootcamp® workshop, running continuously since 2002.  His published works include the award-winning, Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook: 101 Lighting Styles and Setups for Digital Photographers, published by Wiley, and Digital Photography Boot Camp: A Step-by-Step Guide for Professional Wedding and Portrait Photographers, Second Edition, published by Amherst Media. Kevin’s software product portfolio includes workflow training products and award-winning image enhancing tools for Lightroom® and Photoshop®. Kubota’s innovative DASHBOARD™ Photoshop plugin has become the de facto standard for serious photographers worldwide.  Kevin was awarded the Monte Zucker Humanitarian Award, presented to photographers who are significantly involved in their community and various charitable endeavors. Specifically cited for this award was Kevin’s creation of Bend, Oregon’s Family Photo Day in the Park in 2000. This annual event serves hundreds of disadvantaged local families via social service agencies. He has also helped other photographers launch the same type of event in their communities.  Kevin has been featured in American Photo magazine as one of the “Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World”. He is listed as a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens, and for 2013 he is recognized as one of the Most Influential People by Shutter Magazine.

More information on Kevin Kubota and his companies can be found online at:

Kevin Kubota Blog
Kubota Image Tools
Kevin Kubota Website
Asuka Book
Red Boot Design

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MATTHEW ROGALSKI, MD

Matthew Rogalski, MD is an OB-Gyn in Cumberland, Rhode Island.   He received a B.S. in Biology and French at the University of Connecticut, followed by medical school at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.  After medical school, having decided to specialize in Obstetrics and Gynecology, he did his residency at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.  He now practices general Obstetrics and Gynecology in Northern RI where he lives with his wife, Amy, and their two children, Nolan and Layne.

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TARA WHITNEY

Tara is entirely self-taught on Canon equipment and has been photographing the big and little people in her life for the last thirteen years. She strives to document everyone who hires her in an honest, artful way. Tara lives in southern California as close to the beach as she can afford with her husband, four children, lots of music, and a backyard full of succulents.

You can see more of her work at www.tarawhitney.com or on her blog www.tarawhitney.com/justbeblogged.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

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SUNDAY TORTELLI

Sunday Tortelli serves as President Elect for DONA International, the most respected doula training and certifying organization in the world. She lives in the Cleveland, Ohio area where she offers her services as childbirth educator, birth doula, birth doula trainer and lactation counselor. Visit DONA International’s web site at www.DONA.org and join us on Facebook.

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KEREN FENTON

Keren lives just outside of Seattle and has been married for almost 9 years with 2 wonderful children and one more due this March! She started photographing births almost 3 years ago and has been a part of nearly 40 births now. She has always been a “birth junkie” and loves the adrenaline rush that comes every time she gets “the call”. It wasn’t until she was invited to shoot a friends birth, that it clicked, this is what she wanted to do. It was a perfect mix of her combined loves, birth and photography. Keren averages 2-3 births a month and is a natural light photographer. She won the Birthphotographers.com “photo of the year” contest for 2011 and since then, has gotten the opportunity to talk about birth photography all over including the NY Times, on CBS’s “Right This Minute”, and even gets to have some of her photos published in an upcoming book! She hopes the popularity continues and we will all continue to help couples tell their birth story in a beautiful way.

Keren Fenton Photography
Keren Fenton Photography on Facebook

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LYNDSAY STRADTNER

Lyndsay is the founder of the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers.  In addition to a thriving portrait and birth photography business, Life in Motion Photography, Lyndsay mentors birth photographers from around the world through her mentoring program, The Birth Experience.  Lyndsay’s award winning work has been featured in many publications through the years and she’s done interviews with Yahoo News, the New York Times, Parenting Magazine and various media news outlets around the world featuring birth photography.  She resides in Austin, Texas with her husband and four children.

Life in Motion Photography
Life in Motion Photography Blog
The Birth Experience Mentoring Program
Life in Motion Photography on Facebook

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]]> http://birthphotographers.com/2012-international-association-of-professional-birth-photographers-image-of-the-year-competition/feed/ 0 http://birthphotographers.com/lexia-frank-featured-photographer/ http://birthphotographers.com/lexia-frank-featured-photographer/#comments Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:42:22 +0000 admin http://birthphotographers.com/?p=1485 Lexia’s work is riveting and the scope and audience that her work has reached is inspiring.  Ron Howard, world famous director, chose one of Lexia’s images to inspire his next Hollywood film titled “When You Find Me”.  We hope you enjoy Lexia’s photography as much as we do.

Name:  Lexia Frank
Location:  Madison, WI

Web Site:  http://www.lexiafrank.com/
Blog:  http://www.kissingtree.org/
Facebook Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/LexiaFrankPhotography

Tell us a little about yourself….married? children? pets?

I am a mother of 2 beautiful boys, ages 4 and 2, and married to an awesome man who supports me in what I do, a very necessary thing in our line of work! Of course photography is my passion, and I carry my camera with me wherever I go, but I have an equal love of the birthing process – mainly natural birthing – and it just made perfect sense to marry the two together. When I was pregnant with our second child we decided to document the entire process of pregnancy with a maternity series that took off and went viral: http://www.lexiafrank.com/#/maternity-series–tampa-portrait-and-wedding-photographer/ and then of course invited our good friend and fellow photographer Esther to take pictures of the birth of our baby boy.

How long have you been in business?

5 years

Canon or Nikon?

Nikon when I shoot digital, but I mostly shoot film on a Contax 645.

What is your most used lens while photographing a birth?

A 50mm f1.4 when I’m shooting digital, but mainly my Zeiss glass 80mm 2.0.  You cant beat the Zeiss glass!

Did you / Will you / Would you have one of your own births photographed?

Yes! We did! I actually gave my family members strict rules NOT to photograph the birth of my first baby. I thought I would never want to look back on photos of myself while I looked like that and that there were too many opportunities for inappropriate pictures to happen. But, (luckily for me) my best friend (who was there with me the whole time) disobeyed my wishes and took a ton of photos, photos that I absolutely cherish now. She only had a point and shoot camera, so I vowed that with our next baby we’d hire a professional photographer. Those images are my most treasured photographs that I own.  It was the most incredible day of my life.

What drew you to photograph births?

I love delivering babies. I know… I know… that sounds insane. I could actually do without the pregnancy part but the labor and delivery part I just LOVE. We had our boys naturally and I loved being an active participant in the process and feeling the labor, feeling what was happening with my body, and being able to be part of the process that binds all women in history and cultures together. So naturally, I wanted to be part of it more, even if i wasn’t the one in labor. Photographing births was a natural progression for me.  Clients would ask me to photograph their maternity sessions, and their newborn sessions, and I would just ask if they would like the birth photographed as well, and show them my portfolio.

Tell us about a favorite moment you experienced while photographing a birth.

Well, I think it goes without saying that the birth of Baby Rowan turned out to be a pretty spectacular event and life changing for myself as well as my business. The birth itself was beautiful, but normal, but what happened afterwards was amazing. I photographed Ali and her husband, Dusty, throughout the entire labor process, and knew what I was taking were going to be amazing photographs because of the lighting in the room (you really never know what you’re going to get when it comes to births) and because of the connection and emotion between them. After the birth I decided to enter a photo contest – Canon’s Project Imagin8ion – with one of the photos I had taken during the birth. 100,000 photographs were entered from all over the United States, and out of that pile Ron Howard (director of A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 among others) picked my photograph to be the grand prize winner and to also inspire his next Hollywood film titled “When You Find Me”. They flew us out to NY to the world premiere, we got to hang out with all the celebrities, they organized lots of press and interviews for us, published our work in national magazines, and the film has gone on to win numerous awards. It was surely a whirlwind of an adventure for us, and it was all because of photographing births. Here is a little summary I wrote on my blog about the whole experience: http://www.kissingtree.org/2012/02/11/tampa-premiere-of-the-canon-imagin8ion-film-when-you-find-me-a-ron-howard-production/

Lexia, thank you for sharing your beautiful work with us!

Name:  Amanda McGhee of Kimberlin Gray Photography
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

Main Website:    http://kimberlingrayphotography.com
Birth Website:  http://www.kimberlingrayphotography.com/clients/birth
Facebook Fan Page Link:    http://facebook.com/KimberlinGrayPhotography

Tell us a little about yourself….married? children? pets?

I am a mom of two, a six year old daughter and a 3 year old son. I’ve been married for 12 years to my best friend who supports me in everything I do!

How long have you been in business?

I have been in business 3 years.

Canon or Nikon?

I am a convert. I started my business with Canon, but switched to Nikon last fall. So I shoot with the D700.

What is your most used lens while photographing a birth?

24-70mm 2.8 and 50mm 1.4 (I typically have the 50mm on my backup camera and switch during the birth as needed!)

Did you / Will you / Would you have one of your own births photographed?

I did not have my births photographed. Honestly, I had never heard of birth photography at that time. But, I wish I had – they were two totally different experiences and there are so many little moments that I wish I had captured. I would love to have a photo of myself in the birthing tub with my husband and doula beside me…or the look on my face when they announced my son’s weight at 9lbs 10oz!!! Those are the moments to freeze in time!

What drew you to photograph births?

In the process of educating myself about natural birth in preparation for my second child’s birth, I read every book and searched and searched online. I came across “The Birth Experience” website on Life in Motion Photography and instantly was overwhelmed with a feeling of, “THIS is what I want to do!” I actually have a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and taught in an elementary school for nearly 10 years and never felt that way about any job I’ve ever held. I knew instantly that I wanted to be a birth photographer!

Tell us about a favorite moment you experienced while photographing a birth.

One of my favorite moments was during a birth where the mom and dad were so fun, laughing and joking through her labor. With every push, her belly button popped out further and further. The dad started to poke it back in and I just had to pipe up and say, “It’s not an eject button!” (I typically don’t speak during the pushing phase of birth, but felt so comfortable with this family that I knew it would be okay!) Everyone in the room cracked up (including the doctor and nurses). I was even asked to be sure I included a photo of him “pushing the eject button” when I put together their slideshow! At this same birth, the dad wanted to deliver his own baby girl, and one of my favorite shots ever is the one where his expression is so focused as he is easing his daughter into the world. Amazing!

Thank you for sharing your gorgeous work with us Amanda!

First, birth photography is beautiful.  It is not gross, or yucky, or distasteful as I’ve read online in the last few days.  One of the main things lacking in the New York Times article was the true beauty of birth photography.  Where are the images?  Where is the emotion?  You have to see it, to get it.  So let’s do that.  Let’s look at the real beauty of birth photography and all that it has to offer.  I encourage you to click on a few of the links below.

The Birth of Sophie by Jeri Hoag

The Birth of Harleigh Rae by Keri Duckett

The Birth of Miles by Michele Anderson

The Birth of Maddie Rose by Lyndsay Stradtner

The Birth of Carter by Wendi Schoffstall

The Birth of Lola by Natalie Carstens

The Birth of Ephraim by One Tree Photography

These are just a few examples I have on hand.  There are so many amazing birth photographers out there.  I encourage you to browse through our directory and the websites of many of our talented members.  I have found through the years that most of those who oppose birth photography have an misconception about what it really is.  Most have never actually seen it, they just have an idea about what it is.  I’ve found that people have to *see* it to really *get* it.  It’s not about the crowning shot, which is such a common misconception.  Sure, some parents request that particular photo and it can be done respectfully and with integrity.  If that photograph is taken, it accounts for around 2% of the birth photography images presented to client.  Most of the time parents choose to keep those images private, but the choice is theirs.  There is much more to birth photography than the actual moment of birth.  So much more.  It’s the birth environment, the light in the room, the details, the comings and goings of those who are there.  It’s mom holding on to dad in pain, the doula offering a supportive hand, the midwife making suggestions for pain relief and the OB preparing and helping mom push.  It’s the baby placed on moms chest for the first time, the tears of joy, pure adrenaline, the cutting of the cord and babies little toes and fingers.  It’s the first time a sibling meets a new baby brother or sister with a look of wonder and apprehension.  It’s all of those things put together.  It’s the journey of a birth day.  It’s the making of a family.  It’s special.  And if a family chooses so, it deserves to be captured.

The New York Times article mentioned the word “diva” and it made me cringe.  I can honestly say that I’ve never been hired by a “diva”.  No, it is quite the opposite, in fact.  The moms who hire me do so because they want their memories captured and they overlook how they might feel about their own appearance.  They do so because they want their baby captured and because they want the journey of labor and all the details with the support team captured.  Being a diva has nothing to do with any of that. I can fairly say the moms I’ve photographed during labor and delivery are both humble and modest.  Many are concerned about privacy with their images.  Many moms want these images for themselves, and never have the intention to share them with friends, family or the general public.  You will find quite a few slideshows on my website, but there are more that will never be seen because the parents chose to not share them.  Those images are theirs, they are special and private, just for them.  That’s ok.  And so is sharing if that is what you choose to do.  Every single slideshow I have shared has been edited to the wishes of my clients.  I loved sharing the slideshow of the birth of my third child, it was a huge moment in our lives.  It’s all about comfort level and trusting the professional you hired to photograph you in a positive light and according to your wishes.  A good professional birth photographer will talk with you in detail before the birth about what exactly you do and do not want photographed and then follow that path.  For many parents, giving birth is one of the most defining and special moments in their lives.  Wanting to have it captured so you can remember it does not make you a diva or vain.

Another question I see a lot is “why can’t dad just take the photos?”.  This is a great question and I have a great answer!  Dad deserves to be in the photo too.  This is the birth of his child and he should be able to experience it take it all in without the responsibility of focusing on the camera in his hand.  His job is to support mom and experience the birth of their child along with her.  It is easy for family members to get caught up in the moment and forget the camera is in their hands.  Many clients tell their birth photographers that they captured moments they totally missed or didn’t even know were happening because they were so caught up in having gone through labor and given birth.  Imagine the enormity of that gift, to walk away from your birth with extra moments.  Birth photography is also growing in popularity amongst military families.  For these families, having a professional birth photographer means that a dad who is deployed gets to experience the birth of his child in a way he never would have been able to otherwise. Additionally, the majority of my clients are not first time parents.  Moms often tell me they hire me because they “don’t want to forget again”.  I am among the mothers who feel that way and easily declare my child’s birth photographs as one of my most prized possessions.

One thing Ms. Gootman got right in her article is that being an on-call birth photographer is tough.  Yes, that she got right!  We live next to our phones, even in the shower and while we sleep.  We jump when the phone rings, we don’t travel without major planning ahead, we take our cameras with us when we go further than a few miles from the house, we give up school programs with our kids, we miss birthdays and holidays, we also panic if we get sick and look for someone to back us up, we give up freedoms of being able to come and go and plan ahead.  It is a sacrifice for not only us, but our spouses and children.  That’s a big part of the expense when hiring a professional birth photographer, being on call, the many hours away from our families, loss of sleep and convenience and even more hours in front of a computer editing.  Comparing dollars to time with a birth vs. portrait work, I certainly make more off portrait work.  I don’t do this job to get rich, I do it because I really, really, love what I do.

The New York Times article also sent an underlying message that birth photographers are not professional.  Portraying yourself as a friend with a nice camera and fancy lenses is not something a professional, experienced, birth photographer would do.  I have never been treated as a guest of my client at a birth.  I present myself as a professional and have been respected by every medical professional I’ve come in contact with, hospital or otherwise.  I’ve never been kicked out of the room by a doctor, nurse or hospital administrator based on my mere presence.  I’ve always been treated as a professional.  Why?  Because I am one and I behave as one.  I am a part of that birth team.  The parents have chosen to have me there and it is their birth experience.  I am not intrusive to the process.  I have respect for the health of both mom and baby and know that is always top priority.  This means staying out of the way, which is perfect, because most of us in this business take a “fly on the wall” lifestyle approach to birth photography.  Every medical professional I have encountered has appreciated and respected that.  In fact, during my last hospital birth, one of my favorite OB’s saw me in the hall and excitedly ran over to ask if I was there for her patient.  I have a working relationship with the area hospitals and birth centers.  We get along, I follow the rules and they are respectful of my professionalism.  They are happy their patients are getting what they want and need out of their birth experience.  You know what else?  They love the photographs too.  Are there exceptions to this?  Of course.  There are a few photographers out there who have had trouble with hospitals allowing them in for birth photography, but they are very few and far between.  I know most of the photographers interviewed for Ms. Gootman’s recent article in the New York Times and I know for a fact she had to hunt far and wide for a doctor to interview that wasn’t on board with birth photography.

Birth photography is not for everyone, and that is ok.  Some families want their privacy and don’t wish to invite a photographer to their birth and we respect it isn’t for everyone.  But for those just hearing about birth photography for the first time, please open your mind and understand what birth photography really is all about.  Please know, we are professionals and we act accordingly.  We care about positive birth experiences.  We care about the health of mother and baby.  We respect the medical and birth professionals our clients have hired and follow the rules and procedures they put in place.  We are respectful of the birth process and birth experience.  We respect the mother’s choices when it comes to what she does or does not want photographed.  And through all this professionalism, we may still shed a tear when a baby is born.  We are invested in our clients, they become friends, I assure you we are not a stranger in the room.

The truth about birth photography is that it is beautiful and misunderstood.  We are storytellers and we really love what we do.

~

Written by Lyndsay Stradtner, www.lifeinmotionphotography.com
Founder of The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers, www.birthphotographers.com

Tell us a little about yourself….married? children? pets?

I have been married for 8 years to my husband Steven and we have 2 wonderful children, Jacob and Norah. Our family would not be complete without some fur, so we also have 2 cats and a dog who, along with the kids, are constantly entertaining us! Before I was a mom and a photographer, I worked on an ambulance as an emergency medical technician.



How long have you been in business?

2 years and 23 births

Canon or Nikon?

Nikon

What is your most used lens while photographing a birth?

50mm 1.4

Did you / Will you / Would you have one of your own births photographed?

My first birth was a c-section and my second was a vbac, I did not have either of them photographed, mostly because I had no idea anything like that existed, but for our 3rd baby, absolutely…

What drew you to photograph births?

I have always been interested in anything and everything, birth. I love the adrenaline rush that comes with each and every one. Years ago, I was able to accompany a few close friends and family as they welcomed their babies into the world and I was been able to witness 8 births before I even picked up a camera! Growing up, I dreamed of becoming an Obstetrician but that quickly dissolved when I realized how much schooling was required. I thought nursing might be the way to go, but as I got married and had 2 kids along the way, unfortunately, it slipped down the list of priorities. I never let go of the dream of one day getting back into the labor and delivery room. A few years ago, my husband surprised me with my a “fancy” camera and it couldn’t have come at a better time. My kids were young and on the move! It wasn’t until a good friend of mine asked if I would come take photos of her sons upcoming birth, that it clicked. This is what I wanted to do.

Tell us about a favorite moment you experienced while photographing a birth.

It’s always so much fun to be with a family when they have been waiting to find out the sex of the baby, I feel so lucky to be able to find out right along side of them!

Keren is the winner of our 2011 birthphotographers.com photo of the year award.  Congratulations Karen, your work is stunning and your clients are blessed to have you as a part of their birth team!  Here is her winning image: