When planning for a new baby, there is so much to think about. Pinterest is filled with tons of ideas for nurseries, the outfits (especially for baby girls) are just absolutely adorable, and you and your husband are probably thinking about all kinds of different names. One thing you might not be thinking about is having professional photos when your new baby arrives, but aside from your wedding, this is one of the biggest days of your life! And you had wedding photos, so why not also have professional photos of your baby's arrival?

What is birth photography?

Birth photography describes when new parents hire a professional photographer to come to the hospital to document the story of baby's arrival. It can mean that a photographer comes to the hospital the moment a client goes into labor, and stays all the way until hours after the baby is born. It can also mean that the photographer only comes in the few hours after baby is born, to get a few snaps of the new family of three.

Do I really want pictures of that?

Nine times out of ten, as soon as someone hears the term birth photography,  they usually immediately think about some ahem, areas and moments that might not need photographing. When describing my approach to birth photography to my clients, I always tell them I'm there to show the emotions of a birth, not the mechanics. This means the photos are rarely graphic, and instead only focus on faces. although there are certainly moments throughout the birth process that our intimate and perhaps a little too revealing, photos never have to show more than you want them to.

Black and white film Birth photos

Hospitals aren't exactly the most flattering environments for photos. As such, I selected shoot all of my birds with black and white film. By eliminating the color, the distractions of the hospital room tend to melt away. Plus, film tends to be grainy, and the grain can add an artistic hazy feel to the images.

What are the benefits of birth photography?

As a new parent, there are likely a thousand things going through your mind at once. With so much else to focus on during the arrival of your  baby, the last thing you should be worried about is taking pictures. However, you may regret not having photos of the moment your new little one arrived and the expressions on your faces. A birth photographer can capture all of the emotions and expressions while you just focus on living in the moment.

Examples of birth photography in Murfreesboro, TN

Take a look at these images from Beau’s birth. Aren't they the sweetest? Everyone in the room was able to give their full attention to mama and baby without a screen coming between them. Meanwhile, I was able to shoot almost completely unnoticed, giving this family the gift of their birth story in photos.

If you're thinking about birth photography, but are unsure, just send me an email and we can chat about it to see if it's a good fit for you.