Leilani Rogers is an award-winning, veteran birth photographer with a lifetime of experience in the visual arts industry. As the Founder of The Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project and Birthbound Photographer, as well as being named Austin’s Best Birth Photographer for over 6 years, she brings an unparalleled perspective to our 2020 judge panel.
... Growing up in Houston, TX I was raised to appreciate and partake in the arts as much as possible. I spent most of my time in dance and art classes, play rehearsal, the orchestra or violin and viola lessons. In college I received a degree in Viola Performance and Pedagogy, and after years of performing, recording, and teaching, I decided to raise a family. I have 4 kids, ages 13-20 and a husband who encourages me to follow through on all my crazy ideas. These special people have inspired me to pay attention to the little things, find and preserve joy in the day-to-day, and keep on keeping on no matter what. When people ask me how I became a birth photographer, I tell them that it was simply meant to be. My life as a mother and an artist intersected in 2011 when my sister-in-law invited me to document her birth. I photographed a lot of families back then, but that all changed very quickly once I realized my true calling. My love for documenting birth has evolved into a love for teaching birth photography. And when I’m not immersed in that work, I love to entertain, I love plants, and I love goofing around (read: embarrassing) with my kids.
Achievements: Austin’s Best Birth Photographer 2013-2019, Featured on television and in print in The Huffington Post, Midwifery Today, Redbook Magazine, People, FStoppers, CLICK, SELF, Cosmopolitan, ABC News, TODAY, Woman’s Day, and Hello Giggles, Keynote speaker at Off-Call in 2015 and 2017, Instructor at The Baby Summit in 2016, Both finalist and winner in prior IAPBP Image Competitions (2014/2017), Finalist in Lensculture’s Portait of the Year Competition 2017, Exhibited with Lensculture throughout Europe in 2018, Finalist in ClickinMom’s VOICE Collection 2017, Editor’s choice with National Geographic Your Shot’s “The Gift of Life” assignment 2017, 6th place in Birth, Shoot&Share in 2018 Competition, Founder of the Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project Founder of Birthbound Photographer
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