We hire photographers to capture the most important times in our lives that we want to remember forever. The birth of your child is absolutely one of them.
Whether this is your first, second or baby number seven, I think its safe to say that the day you give birth is one of the biggest days of your life. For almost a full year, you have planned every detail of your birth from your care provider and birth plan to what teeny tiny little outfit you're going to bring your new baby home in. You've wondered where you're going to be when the time finally comes and what its going to feel like when you get to lay your eyes on the tiny human you've been growing all this time.
So the day finally comes. You've been counting contractions. Your partner has been more supportive and helpful than you could have ever imagined. He/She is attentive to your every need and everyone is supporting you. You're more focused than you have ever been as you're about to meet your little one. You've just done one of the most difficult but rewarding things you've ever done in your life...delivered a baby. You've locked eyes and pulled baby to your chest. You're in shock, you're amazed, you're feeling euphoric. Your partner is emotional as he sees everything you have just accomplished. Baby lets out his/her first cry and everyone is full of smiles and tears of happiness.
...and your photographer captured it all!
As time goes on, its easy to forget all of the things that led up to the birth of your child on this day. Without pictures, would you really remember exactly what your baby looked like when you saw him/her for the first time? Would you know what was going on behind the scenes while you were focused so intently on your breathing and contractions? And what if you had a c-section? How amazing would it be to have the memory of all of your babies first moments!
I will be on call 24/7 from the day you hit 38 weeks. When the time comes, I will plan my arrival according to where you are in the labor process. Typically, I will arrive when you are between 5-7cm dilated or showing an active labor pattern (contractions lasting about 45-60 seconds, every five minutes). I will be in communication with you or someone you designate as a contact from your birth team (partner, doula, family, friend). I will stay up to two hours after birth.
I think of myself as a modest birth photographer. Looking through my galleries, you wont see many photos of crowning or graphic images. However, should you request these or not have a preference in regards to "off limit" shots, then I will certainly try to accommodate in accordance with your birth facilities guidelines (some local hospitals do not allow shots of the baby emerging but will allow photography immediately after baby is out).
My contract states that I have permission to share photos on social media outlets as well as my website, blogs etc. However, nothing graphic is ever shared and I would never share anything without your consent. All client galleries created on my website are password protected so only you and whomever you provide the password to will have access. If you are not opposed to your photos being seen by others then there will be no password (this will be discussed during our initial consultation as well as after the photos are delivered and reviewed by you). You'll also have the option to have a public gallery but hide the photos you do not wish to be public.
Yes. Please contact me to discuss setting up a consultation.
I do not have a time limit. The last thing a mama in labor needs is the stress of wondering if their labor is accommodating to the photographer. Stress can slow things down if you're not entirely focused on your labor. However, if we are entering the 12th hour that I have been at the facility and there are little to no signs of birth soon, I will have the option to call in a backup photographer (this is discussed with you during the consultation) so I can go home to nap. The backup photographer will call me if anything changes but in case I do not make it back in time, they will be there to ensure everything is documented.
All the more reason to have a photographer! During a planned or unplanned c-section, baby is taken out of mamas view, where he/she is cleaned, stabilized, measured all while mama is being tended to by the doctors. Sometimes mom is just not ready when its time for baby to head back to the room so she doesn't get to see whats going on, like the sweet way Dad is staring into his new babies eyes. All of these little firsts would be captured and cherished forever as I will stay with baby and you do not have to worry about missing out on these moments. Facilities and providers have different policies for photographers when it comes to c sections due to the sterile environment so we must of course abide by these policies. We will discuss this in your consultation.
Yes and this is very important. After photographing in a few different birth places, I have learned each location has their own guidelines and each doctor has their own terms as well. While one doctor may not be opposed to your photographer capturing the moment baby emerges, others will ask that you wait until baby is all the way out and placed on mama. Some allow photographers in the operating room during a c-section, but others may not. That's why its very important to know this information ahead of time so we can plan accordingly. Just because a doctor might have some restrictions does not mean that I will not be able to document and provide the unique memories and experiences from that day.
We will discuss this in more detail during your consultation.
In the rare event where any unforeseen circumstance may present themselves and I think I may miss the birth, I have a network of birth photographers on call that will provide backup. If the backup photographer should be unable to make it before the birth, there are other package options to chose from that can be substituted for the missed birth. This is discussed in our initial consultation.
I prefer not to use flash which is why its important to have a camera that does well in low light situations, which I have. If the lighting proves to difficult, I may ask your thoughts on either brightening the room slightly or possibly introducing a flash.
While no birth is the same when it comes to the amount of time a Mama takes from the moment labor starts, to the time shes holding her little one and because its an event in the future, there is no clear way to guarantee a certain amount of photos. In an event where I have the opportunity to document for a few hours prior to birth and an hour or so after, you will have 100+ photos. But if everything goes so quickly that I barely make it, you might expect somewhere around 50+. For example, I had a mama go so fast that I was only in the delivery room 30 minutes before baby was born and about 30 minutes after, and she still ended up with 85 photos. If I am not happy with the amount of photos you receive due to the quickness of the birth or any other circumstances providing difficult to capture the full experience, I will offer you the option for an add on session of your choice at no additional cost.
I ask that you give me up to 30 days after delivery to provide you with your images. In first couple of days immediately following the birth, I will provide you with some of the most memorable photos as "teasers" so you can have and share while I work on editing the rest.
Birthing Center of Buffalo - 11 Minutes
Eastern Niagara Hospital (Lockport) - 38 Minutes
John R. Oishei Children's Hospital - 15 Minutes
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo - 20 Minutes
Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital - 13 Minutes
Mount Saint Marys Hospital - 32 Minutes
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center - 32 Minutes
Sisters of Charity Hospital - 11 Minutes
Summer Street - 17 Minutes