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When I get invited into a family’s home to document their life with a new baby, it’s nothing short of an honor. But when that same family asks me to come back to capture their family growing again, I feel humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me for a second time.
My goal for each time I photograph a newborn baby and their family at home is to document not just the tiny details that make up this big moment of life, but to really capture how it feels to be living it. I strive to create artful photos that transport parents from their future lives right back to the fleeting days when they first met their baby and could stare at him for hours on end, learning every detail and taking in the newness and profoundness of it all.
Maybe my favorite days, though, are ones like the day shown below — when I was welcomed into a beautiful bungalow in South St. Louis County for an in-home newborn session with Finnegan and his wonderful parents. The living room was bright enough, with several windows, but not so much direct light that rays of sunshine created overly bright spots. There were beautiful neutral tones in the furniture and decorations, accented by warm wood floors and accents. It was a really nice place to start photographing this sweet new family of three.
On my drive from my first newborn session over to this family’s home, the sleet and snow started falling. By the time I arrived, there was a dusting of white on the grass outside. But despite the cold and overcast day outside, the photos we made together inside this lovely family’s home were rich with warmth and color and love. Check out this beautiful family (doggo included) and the magic we made together.
As a birth photographer, telling birth stories through photos brings me such a sense of honor and purpose. Showing the strength and vulnerability of labor, the support of a birth partner and the midwives or other care providers, the emotions and the details that tell the story of the journey, and the joy and relief once baby is in their parents’ arms… it’s all a passion of mine. But the truth is, the story I tell is from an outside perspective. So to get to hear that same story through the words of the person who lived it is so very special. Getting to read those words alongside my documentation is, for me, well, it’s just magic.
I hope you’ll enjoy seeing this birth story from my perspective in this slideshow and then reading about the journey Katelyn went on to bring her baby Earthside in her own words below!
Six benefits of having lifestyle newborn photos in your own, unique, St. Louis home, instead of driving to a studio for posed newborn photography.
This is the exquisite story of the homebirth of Asa Louise. She was born tiny, but mighty, into the hands of a skilled and intuitive midwife. Her mother labored instinctually in and out of the birth pool through the night. Her siblings excitement was palpable as they woke in the wee hours to find that the time had come to welcome her. And as the sun rose, her father made a wise and knowing suggestion that quickly brought her earthside.
It’s always such an honor to use my camera to document a birth story through photos and film. But words can be powerful glue that help to weave that story together. When Jeanne agreed to write her birth story, I was so excited to hear it all from her perspective. I just loved getting to read this birth story, in the words of this strong mama who worked so hard and found surrender. Seeing it next to my documentation is just so amazing.
Having an opportunity (and a deadline) to go through my body of work and choose an image or a handful of images that are technically correct and objectively powerful is a practice that really pushes me as an artist. It truly fosters individual growth as an artist and as a professional. And all of that is true no matter the outcome of the competition.
The classic maternity portrait is a beautiful tribute to the growing, stretching body, ripe with the promise of new life. But it forgets about the story that gets us there. I love maternity sessions that honor the life before baby arrives. The preparation, the anticipation, and the last weeks of life before a new chapter begins. So my documentary maternity sessions focus on telling that story.
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, with new restrictions on how and where I could do my job, 2020 was my busiest year yet as a birth photographer. I was able to capture so many beautiful, transformative moments of connection, endurance, vulnerability, strength, and love as each family welcomed a new baby into their lives.
When your baby has grown out of onesies and sleepy snuggles, looking back at photos from our newborn session will transport you back to the way this particular and fleeting time in your life FEELS. But what should you wear and how should you prepare yourself, your baby, your family, and your home to ensure we create gorgeous images for you to enjoy for so many years to come?
If you’re thinking about hiring a birth photographer, you might be worried that the photos of one of your most intimate and vulnerable moments will suddenly become public. I can’t speak for all birth photographers (though I’d really hope that most would agree), but I’m here to tell you that, as a professional birth photographer, I never share a single photo without consent.