Why birth photography?

From TRA's blog, guest blogger Gwendolyn Waite.  She says it so perfectly, why reinvent the wheel?

Birth photography. You mention it to people, and they either get it, or they don't. Some people will call you all kinds of crazy. Birth photography is certainly not for everybody. But for those folks who do choose to document their birth in photos and who appreciate the art, beauty, and storytelling of birth photography - these images will be their most cherished. The ones they run to rescue from a fire. The ones that survive generations. The ones that bring tears to their eyes. Every. Single. Time.

Having been on both ends of the camera during the birth process, I can tell you how incredibly beautiful these images are to a family. I only have a couple snapshots from my oldest kids' births, but they are still the most amazing, beautiful photos of two of the most important days of my life. However, I would give anything to go back in time and have a birth photographer tell our story of those days. All those tiny details I will never be able to remember, that were lost in the momentum of the day. When I was pregnant with my third child, I knew that I had to document the story of his birth more completely. Hiring a birth photographer is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Ever.

So why would a family choose to hire a birth photographer, instead of having a family member snap away? Simple. A birth photographer will capture all those little details that will otherwise be forgotten. The look of relief on mom's face when she's made it through another contraction. The clock two hours in, seven hours in. Grandma, waiting patiently in the hallway. A hand of support on mom's shoulder. Dad's face when he makes the first phone call announcing the birth. All of those small moments that would slip by, unnoticed. These photos, woven together, tell the story of the birth day.

A birth photographer will also free up everybody else at the birth to support mom. After the baby is born, dad can focus all of his attention on mom and the baby, and enjoy those first incredible moments knowing that the story is being captured.

If you have any interest in a birth session, contact Nicole:  nicole@nbarczak.com for more information or to schedule your birth day session. FAQ and common birth photography information is also available on the website www.nbarczak.com.


Nicole Barczak Photography is a birth photographer in Jackson at Allegiance Health and in Ann Arbor at Motts U of M.  She is available for photographing hospital births, home births, at birthing centers, natural deliveries and c-sections.