Frequently Asked Questions: Birth Photography
While birth photography is such a beautiful way to document your birth story, you’re not alone if you have questions about it. Most people do, especially dads. Birth photography is such an intimate experience that I want to make sure I answer all of my client’s questions fully. I’ve created this list of frequently asked questions for all things birth photography.
What is birth photography?
Birth photography is documenting your entire birth story. It is photography taken during the actual live birth of your baby. It is capturing your entire story from labour, to pushing, to your first glance at your baby, to beautiful reaction shots of both you and your partner as you meet baby for the first time.
What parts of the birth do you document? Are the photos graphic?
I leave this up to my clients. I will document as much or as little of your birth that you would like. I do a consultation with all of my clients where we talk about what images are really important to them. I try my best to keep my birth photography tasteful however there are moments documented where due to the nature of birth photography would be considered graphic. When clients request photos such as crowning photos I do my best to photograph at an angle that gets the shot but also is more tastefully documented.
When do you arrive at the birth?
I arrive once active labour begins or when you are on the cusp of active labour. This can vary depending on your birth history and how quickly you deliver. I also remain at the birth up to 2 hours after baby is born to capture some of those fresh postpartum moments.
Do you go on call?
Of course! I go on call at 37 weeks which means I am available to my clients 24/7. In the event that the pregnancy is high risk, has had complications or is a twin pregnancy I do go on call earlier. This is something we would keep in close communication over.
Will our birth photos be shared online?
This is totally up to you. With birth photography being such an intimate moment I want to be respectful of my clients. I have my clients sign a confidentiality form where they record which images they do NOT want being shared and kept private. Many of my clients who have been police officers, paramedics, labour & delivery nurses choose to keep their images more private due to the nature of their work and serving the public. This is something I always want to be respectful of. I don’t ever want someone to feel uncomfortable when they see their images shared online. This is why you may see a few images from someone’s birth shared on our social media pages rather than a full story.
What equipment do you use?
I use professional camera equipment only. I shoot with a Canon DSLR 5D Mark IV. I also carry a back up camera on hand just in case. I find this camera allows me to work well in low lighting situations and adjust lighting quickly and swiftly when needed so I don’t ever miss the shot.
Do you use flash? Do you find people find it distracting?
I do use flash but depending on the location of delivery will switch between flash and no flash. I try my best to bounce the flash off near by walls to ensure it is not distracting to my clients. So far my clients haven’t said that the flash is distracting especially because it is not going off all the time.
Do you offer both doula and birth photography together?
YES!!! In fact, I am one of the only birth photographer & doula combos in all of the Niagara Region. This makes things more cost effective for my clients but also allows them to minimize of how many people are attending their birth. It also gives them consistency and is one less thing for clients to worry about at the time of delivery. I find this also allows me to connect more with my clients.
Do you edit the images?
Yes. When I photograph I shoot in what is called RAW files and convert the raw files into JPEG files after they are edited. The reason why I do this is because a RAW file is the highest quality of file you can shoot in. It allows you to edit images and have a JPEG file that is of the highest quality. If you were to continue to edit a JPEG over and over your image quality would continue to diminish. When it comes to editing the actual images I try to keep the images as close to how I shot them. This means that I rely on photoshop very little. While I may adjust lighting, do small touch ups, crop out things that are distracting in the background, I will not edit to make you look thinner, have less cellulite or alter the way your body looks.
What types of births do you photograph?
I photograph ALL births. I have experience photographing home births, water births, hospital births, medicated and unmedicated births, cesarean births, surrogate births and more!
Are you allowed to photograph in hospital? Are there hospital restrictions for birth photography?
Yes, I am able to document births within the hospital but there are some restrictions in place. Every hospital is different so it’s important to always look into the restrictions or talk with your birth photographer about them first. For example, not all hospitals will allow your birth photographer to enter the OR but will allow you to send a camera in or take pictures with your phone. Your birth photographer should be well educated on these restrictions and guidelines for the hospitals they service. There is also something we call birth photographer edict where you simply do NOT document any hospital staff or anyone who hasn’t given you permission to take their photo. In the event of an emergency or complication it’s also important that your photographer checks with your care provider to ensure it is still okay to continue to document.
Do you offer still birth photography? What happens if you have a miscarriage?
Yes, I do offer still birth photography at no charge. If a client knows ahead of time that baby may not make it at birth then we will plan accordingly to document those final moments with baby at no charge. In the event that a client has a miscarriage, if it is in the second trimester, we would document their story like the still birth photography. If it is before the second trimester and client has already paid clients would receive a prorated refund. These moments can be very hard and intimate which is why I take great care with documenting these moments.
How many photos do you get?
On average my clients receive anywhere from 100-250 high resolution digital files of their birth depending on the length of their birth. If you are interested in more details about our birth photography packages I encourage you to visit our birth photography page. Birth Photography Packages
How many years have you been doing photography?
I have always had a camera for as long as I can remember. I remember being that kid who always had to bring her camera everywhere and as I got older I continued to upgrade equipment. But I have been shooting professionally for 5 years now.
How can birth photography be an asset to my birth experience?
Birth photography can truly add to your overall birth and postpartum experience. For clients who have had previous birth trauma or simply didn’t remember much of their birth, birth photography can be a huge help. You not only get to go through your entire story but often see moments you either forgot or didn’t know happened. For clients who have experienced birth trauma, a NICU stay or a cesarean birth this can especially be helpful. It allows them to piece together their entire birth story. It allows them to not only relive the emotion but see the emotion of everyone in the room. This can be a huge part of the healing process and even help with those going through postpartum depression.
If you are interested in viewing more of our birth photography please visit our website for a full gallery or click the button below to book your FREE consultation to chat further about having your birth story documented.