During labor and delivery, you will be focusing on your body and bringing your baby into the world. You may not be aware of things going on around you like the way you partner looks at you in absolute adoration. You probably won’t see all of the support that your birth workers provide. You certainly won’t be able to see how powerful and radiant you are during your labor. 

The moment that you see your baby for the first time is absolutely priceless. The triumph on your face and the flood of emotions as your baby is handed to you for the first time. The tears of joy in your partner’s eyes as you both meet your baby.

Trust me to ensure that your birth story is captured for generations to see.

Birth photography captures the story of the day that your baby is born. It captures all of the emotions and all of the firsts that happen so quickly that it’s hard to remember them all.

There is so much going on in the room around you the day that you meet your baby. All of the attention is on you and your baby, ensuring that everything goes as smoothly as possible while you work to bring your beautiful baby earth side. You don’t want to forget a moment of your special day! 

Let me focus on capturing all of the details of this emotional, once in a lifetime story, while you and your support team focus on your baby’s birth.

Yes! Tell me what you are looking forward to most. Picture the moments that you absolutely must have. I have a list of typical important moments to capture, but I want you to tell me what you really want captured. Tell me if special visitors will arrive immediately after your baby is born so I can be prepared to capture the moment they meet your baby. Please also tell me if there are parts of the birth that you would rather not capture. 

I can’t wait to meet you (and your partner)! I will walk you through a list of what to expect and provide a welcome guide with a timeline so you know what happens next. I am happy to answer all of your questions (some mamas prefer to bring a list). 

Each mama has a different modesty level. I want to make sure that I know what you want. You can always change you mind, just let me know ahead of time because I don’t want you to have to remember to tell me while you’re in labor. Your welcome guide will also include a list of trusted referral partners who offer maternity, prenatal, and postpartum services.

Uncertainty about your labor can be stressful. I will travel to you when you are about 5-6cm or when your contractions are 3-4 min apart. You should be in active labor then. Arriving during active labor increases my ability to be there at the perfect time to capture all of the details of the day and decreases the chance that I will be there for 30+ hours. That way I can stay fresh and alert to capture all the important moments of your day.

Once I arrive, I will stay until your baby is born. I will bring my own hospital bag with some food and essentials. I come prepared to stay for 10+ hours. I am happy to support you through delivery. 

I will make every attempt to join you in the OR. You can ask your doctor ahead of time if I would be allowed to accompany you in the OR in the event that a c-section is needed. If I am unable to go into the OR, I will join you in recovery. I will capture all of the surrounding details. Please let me know if you will have family in the waiting area that I can document in the meantime.

Wouldn’t you love to share the story of the day that your baby was born? In our initial meeting, we will discuss the types of images that you would be comfortable sharing. We will discuss how you feel about sharing your images and how much skin you would want shown. You will approve all of the images that you are comfortable sharing before I share them. I would love to include your story in your own words to accompany the images.

I don’t know if I want to be photographed.
What if I look ugly/tired/awful?    

We are our own worst critics. You may be concerned about how you look right now, but looking back you will see how powerful you were and the love you felt for your baby. The emotion of the story is stronger than how you look in the moment. My goal is to help you look your best, so you can concentrate on delivering your baby. I’m really good at getting flattering angles to help you look your best. I have a few other tricks I will tell you about in our interview.

I don’t want any graphic pictures of me on the internet.     

I won’t post any images that you aren’t comfortable with. You will approve all of the images that you are comfortable sharing before I share them.

Do you use a flash?  
What if I want my birth space to be dark?    

If I use a flash, I will point it at the ceiling, not at you. If the flash disturbs you, I will stop immediately. I prefer to use natural light or candle light. If the room is really dark it will be very difficult to see what’s going on. I will work with whatever light is available. You can decide what you will allow in your birth space. If you decide that you don’t want any flash, the images will have a higher grain count and will not be as crisp.

What happens if part of your equipment breaks?
Do you have back up equipment?     

I will bring my back up camera, batteries, memory cards, and lenses. One of the perks of hiring a professional birth photographer is knowing that they will come prepared. I always carry back up equipment with me for “just in case” something breaks.

Will your back up equipment provide the same quality of work?  

Yes! This is another great question to ask any birth photographer you’re considering. My back up camera (and the rest of my back up equipment) is the same model as my primary equipment.

I have been a Registered Nurse for 14 years, specializing in postpartum care, newborns and pediatrics. I love working with families and watching them grow. Three years ago I began seriously pursuing my other passion, photography. I have studied photography for 21 years and have been a professional photographer for the last two years. I practice lifestyle photography. That means that I document real moments. I love freezing time, capturing that moment with the raw connection and memories surrounding it. This is how I preserve your most important moments. 

How would you feel if you were able to capture all of the details of the day your baby was born? How amazing would it be if someone captured your “I did it!” moment? Every mom has a moment after labor when it all hits her and she has a moment of clarity. She realizes that she did it! She just delivered her baby! 

Hiring a birth photographer means that you and all of the people in the room with you can focus on your labor, delivery, and your baby. Hiring a birth photographer means that your partner can stay by your side every moment, supporting you, and holding your baby instead of trying to remember to take pictures. Hiring a birth photographer means that your partner can be in the pictures instead of taking them. Hiring a birth photographer means capturing countless details and treasured memories. It’s your job to focus on your delivery and your baby. Trust me to capture the moments that you will treasure forever.

I will be on-call 24 hours/day, 7 days/week from 38 weeks until delivery. Please call me any time. I will answer even if it’s late night, middle of the night, or early morning. I want to be there for you. 

Do you take pictures of the whole labor and birth? 

My job is to document the best day of your life! I will capture beautiful, real, timeless images that you can share with the world. 

During our consult, we will discuss your level of modesty. I will get the types of images that you want from the point of view that you request. I will travel to you when you are in active labor (about 5-6cm). Tell me if you know that you have fast labors so I can plan to be there as quickly as possible.

On average, I will be at a birth for 6-10 hours. Regardless of the time I spend at the birth, I will be editing and delivering the same amount of images.

I will arrive during active labor to document your labor and the birth of your baby. I will continue documenting you and your family bonding with your baby for about 1-2 hours after delivery. If you want me to capture special visitors meeting your new baby, please make arrangements for them to arrive within an hour after your baby is born. I do not want to interrupt golden hour with your baby, but I will let you know about 30 minutes before I leave. That gives you the opportunity to tell me if there are activities like baby’s first bath that you would like for me to document before I go.

When should I schedule?    

Schedule early to reserve your date before it’s gone! I only accept 1-3 clients per month. 

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Do you offer payment plans or discounts?     

Yes! I accept payment plans. I can customize a payment plan for you. I can also set up a gift registry for you. I can send you cards that you can email or include in your baby shower invites. That way your friends and family can buy gift certificates towards your birth session. I do not offer discounts on birth photography packages, but I do offer a baby story discounts on maternity and newborn sessions for my birth clients.

You will get the complete story of the day your baby is born!
When you hire me, you get the added benefit of my nursing expertise. My eyes will be on you from the moment I arrive. I am happy to answer any questions about what to expect or “Is this normal?”

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How many portraits will I get?    

That will depend on what package you pick. The average is 50. When I deliver too many images, moms tend to get overwhelmed trying to figure out what to do with them. I may take several that look the same. My goal is to provide you with 25+ breath taking images along with important details of your day. 

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How long will it take to get my portraits?   

As a nurse and a mother, I know how important it is for you to recover and strengthen your bond with your baby in those first 4 weeks. My goal is to ensure that you are ready to see your birth story images. My turnaround time for a Birth Story is 4 weeks. I will schedule your selection appointment after 4 weeks for you to select your favorite images.

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Will my portraits be color or black and white?

I will provide both, but more of them will be B&W than color.

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Do you provide a CD of all my images?    

You will receive your high resolution digital downloads of your favorite images. You can also order professional prints through me. I use a professional lab with archive quality prints. I also have a partnership with the custom framing department at Michael’s with preferred pricing if you want your prints to be framed. If you choose to order prints on your own, I recommend mpix.com.

I am friends with several fantastic, local birth photographers. We have an amazing Facebook group where we can all stay connected. If I’m sick or attending another birth, I will call a back up photographer (of your choice) to attend your birth. I will cover their fee. If you are attached to me or choose to decline a back up photographer, I will provide a Fresh48 and an in-home Lifestyle Newborn session in lieu of birth photography.

As a nurse, I know how important it is to stay healthy for my clients, especially newborns. I don’t want to risk exposing my clients to avoidable illnesses. I take lots of vitamins, including vitamin C, and stay away from people (or kids) who are obviously sick. 

I also let my other clients know that I will not photograph sick children. Not only would a sick child expose me to illness, it would expose my newborn clients, and my family to illness.