I Do This For My Clients.
I don’t photograph births for likes, or to win competitions. I don’t photograph births to post the photos in a birth photography group or to be well know by the world.
I photograph births to tell my clients story.
They’re unique, one of a kind, journey to bringing their babe earth side.
So many times I see posts in birth photographer facebook groups about how they can’t wait to enter an image competition or are swooning over another birth photographer that they’ve put on a pedestal.
And I don’t get it.
Yes it’s great to have someone to look up to. BUT don’t try and be exactly like them. There’s no fun in that. And there’s no fun in only photographing births to submit to image competitions because the photos that are submitted to competitions are intentionally photographed and not necessarily something you give to your client. They have a different feel and mood to them.
Birth photography isn’t about being seen
It’s not about how many followers you have or can get from an image post. It’s not about being the better than others or wanting to be famous within the birth world. People sometimes steal the images “famous” photographers take and pawn them off as their own (it happens a lot with doulas putting them on their website, but even some other photographers will use your work to try and get people to hire them). It happens to literally any genre of photographer in the world. Landscape, real estate, wildlife, weddings, etc.
I think there’s a difference between being put on a pedestal in the birth world, and being respected for the product you put out and how you maintain your business.
I want my clients to have the best experience they possibly can with me.
My focus is and always will be my clients.
If I take a competition-esque image I always ask my clients before submitting to a competition. If they’re not comfortable with it, it doesn’t get submitted.
Birth is an intimate and sacred space. I don’t want my clients, I don’t want YOU, to worry about what I’m doing in the birth space. I’m there to capture your story however it unfolds. As a documenter, as a story teller, as YOUR birth photographer/videographer.
The moment I step into your space, my brain is running a million miles an hour already laying out specific details I want to capture. Do you have animals? I’m going to incorporate them into your story. Do you have a special memento that your holding onto during a surge? *click* Is someone from your birth team sleeping in the corner of your room with their mouth open? You bet your ass I’m going to try and take a picture of that.
Although I can’t guarantee any photos, I try my best to capture every detail I can see or think of.
I want my clients to be able to go through their photos and be able to see what happened from right when I got there to right when I leave. I want my photos to speak to them emotionally. I want them to be able to relive their day as often as they want.