It’s been almost four years since Misty contacted me asking me to photograph her upcoming birth. I remember being shocked that she would trust or want someone who was just starting out in their birth photography journey to capture something so big, so monumental. I had only captured two births in Chilliwack, BC, prior to her enquiry, both for friends, but despite me trying to talk her out of hiring me she insisted. I remember Misty telling me how she had saved through out her pregnancy to afford a birth photographer for this birth as she regretted not doing this for her two previous births with her sons, and nothing was going to stop her from having the birth of her daughter captured in photographs.
Misty was due the first week of January 2015 so throughout the Christmas break I checked my phone non stop, kept my ringer on high with the most annoying ringtone I could find to ensure no matter what- I would be there for the birth of their daughter. And so it was shortly before 10pm I received the text message that her water had broken earlier and the midwives were on their way and that I should come now.
When I arrived it was evident that there was no shortness of love going around. Her husband and her best friend and labor coach were by her side every step of the way. Misty labored long and hard throughout the night and by sunrise on December 29, 2014 sweet baby E was welcomed earth side. Shortly afterwards her two older brothers were brought home by the neighbours and they showered her with love and kisses and fed their tired mama her favourite snack, pineapple chunks.
Looking back at these images 4 years later I am still in awe in what I was able to capture with my Canon Rebel T4i, a 50 mm and a 28mm lens. It truly shows, that its not really about the gear, rather how you use it and knowing and understanding light. When I originally stumbled upon these images earlier this week I was embarrassed of them but the more I stared at them and truly felt them- the prouder I became. I have grown leaps and bounds as a photographer in the last four years and of course my camera bag is now overflowing with expensive equipment and all the top low light lenses on the market which of course makes capturing home births in the middle of the night just a little bit easier it is truly not about the gear, its about knowing your clients and what is in their hearts so you are able to capture that in photographs for them.
Birth is a blur. No matter how you look at it, it truly passes so quickly; as do the memories of your birth. Let’s take those raw moments of your birth and preserve them into something tangible, that can be held onto for a lifetime. I have no photography of either of my births. My son’s birth was on film and when we dropped off the film to be developed it came back super imposed with a senior citizens function of some sorts- yes friends the handful of images we took at the hospital have old people on them- much like today’s double exposures- just exactly what you don’t want. My daughter’s birth ended up being an emergency c-section and time spent in the NICU while I struggled to come out of the anesthetic. She was born Thanksgiving weekend and I was so traumatized from her birth that all I could think of was just wanting to go home. In the essence of giving back to mama’s to make sure everyone has the opportunity to have photos of their birth stories I am prepared to offer the first three births booked from this post a deep discount. I have availability to take on one birth each for the month of November, December, January and February. Message me to discuss.
