Photographer during labor/birth?? « Back to Group Discussions

[Iowa]

Anyone planning to hire a photographer for the big event?  I really enjoy seeing other people's birth photos and have started to think about this.  I liked having just my DH and midwife (I delivered in a hospital but they were good about not having anyone else in there) with my first but I think if the photographer kind of stayed back I wouldn't mind.  And now that I know I'm having a girl, I think it would be a neat thing for her to have some pictures of her birth...plus I have so many neat memories of my first delivery that I think documenting it would be neat.  I talked to one of my photographer friends and she's offered to do it for me if we decide to.  Huge bonus since a few other birth photographers in the area charge $600+!  She also delivered twins naturally last year and 'gets' birthing so I think she'd be a good fit.  Anyone have a professional photographer at a past birth?

[MaerynPearl]

Someone offered to do it for me for free (she wants to get into birth photography and heard I'm doing a homebirth)

I still declined. Really don't want someone else there and dear goodness no pictures of ME during labor. Hubby and I get plenty of pics of baby after the birth. But... this is me. I have enough pictures I'm ashamed of of during labor and post baby with my older three, don't need someone to do them professionally lol... but again. This is me, this is how I feel about my own experience.

I have offered the same to friends for free (I do births and deployment homecomings free, both to build experience and because OMG it's just awesome to get to be there!)

[lbkw]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl 

 Really don't want someone else there and dear goodness no pictures of ME during labor.

I totally agree. I'm sure my doula would take regular photos if I asked, but I hate pictures of myself. Though, I have to say I like seeing the pictures of my mom in the delivery room with me. I guess I should think about someone other than myself. I can just not look at them ;-)

[scarykarrey]

I'm torn about it. On the one hand, I'd love for the event to be documented. But on the other, I also hate photos of myself, and while I think that childbirth is a wonderful, beautiful, life-changing experience, I'm afraid that I'll either be distracted from my concentration by the photographer, or that I'll be frustrated by the way I look in the photos and will be distracted from what's going on in them.

[mom2a4Rashelle]

This will be the 1st time (baby #5) that I am having a designated take picture birth photographer at our birth. With my 1st homebirth I had a tripod set up with the video camera, which captured the entire birth from across the room. Then the assistant midwife would grab my camera every so often to snap a picture here and there. I decided this go around to have a person that their sole purpose was just to take pictures that way cutting the cord won't be missed! The person we hired prides herself on being a fly on the wall and honestly in the heat of the moment that last thing I am paying attention to is what is happening around me. 

[Nicole730]

I'm having someone take photos this time, it will either be my friend - who is going to be at the birth either way or an acquaintance who offered to do it and she does more professional photos.  I am really excited!  I have a bunch of photos of DS being born and none of my daughter.  I really want some nice photos this time around.  I don't always like photos of me, but I don't think I will mind how I look during labor.  Plus, professionals know how to get the good shots, or at least only show you those ones!

A side note on not liking photos/videos of yourself.  I usually don't either, especially video.  But, one day I was sitting there thinking that if I were to die, my children wouldn't have hardly any video of me and barely any photos because I try to avoid both.  I really don't want that.  So now I try to make a point to at least be in family videos and have photos of me and the kids taken more often.  Kind of morbid, but really?  Will my kids care that I don't like how I look?  No, they'll be happy they still get to see their mama.

[scowgirl]

On the subject of not liking how you look in pictures--I totally get it (I don't like how I look in pictures either), and during labor I can see how that would be a dealbreaker. I think if someone were in there taking photos at that time, particularly since this is my first, I would be anxious and at least a little distracted or self-conscious. I don't want to risk it contributing something negative to the experience, so I probably won't do it. I might ask DH to take a few if he feels up to it.

That being said, in general I personally feel very strongly that it's important for me to get over my dislike of how I look in pictures. DH recently scanned in hundreds of slides from his grandparents' travels and daily life. The ones of just places and things we basically didn't even save because they were meaningless to us. The ones that were really cool were the ones of grandma and his dad cooking over a campfire, or grandma and grandpa standing proudly by their first new car, or what have you. We didn't give a crap if grandma had cellulite in the photo on the beach or had an unflattering expression on her face. It's just cool to see your ancestors living their lives and looking happy. So we try to get a lot of photos with us in them on vacation, and likewise if birth were one of those things that I felt strongly about commemorating, I would try to figure out a way to make that happen in a way I could make myself comfortable with.

My 2 cents, anyway. I know not everyone feels the same and obviously that's totally fine. I'm not trying to lecture... this is just a subject I recently realized I felt passionate about. 

ETA: X-posted--Nicole said it better in far fewer words 

[LeighB]

I have a friend who is a birth photographer.  I've been to several births with her.  You never eve realize she is there taking pictures, and she get amazing shots.  Ones that you wouldn't think of as "birth" photos--like the time on the clock, the tools the midwife brings, photos of the food your husband has made....but it all tells this total story.  

Anyway, so yes I'll be having her at my birth.  :) 

[Shinyredstar]

We have pictures of me in early labor and immediately after delivery with my kids, but that's all. I can't say that it's something I'm interested in because I really just don't like having anyone in the room but the midwife and my husband, and I think it's for the same reason that I feel uncomfortable looking at other people's birth photos- for me, it's just something super intimate and personal. I wouldn't mind having pictures to look at on my own later, but not to share. And I'm guessing seeing them would feel a little like making home sex videos. It's never as sexy to look at as the idea seemed like it would be. Haha.

[Lovin_Life]

I will be having a photographer for this one since it's my last. They do a really good job at staying in the background and actually don't need to come until closer to the end so I doubt I will even know she is there. They are digital too so I don't need to show anyone the ones I don't like. I think it will be such an amazing thing to have.

[MaerynPearl]

the pics I got last pregnancy were from the doula in training that was there. I shudder at them, but I want to share anyway, because I know no matter how terrible I look, other ladies tend to like seeing birth photos...

My absolutely awesome husband and I... if I weren't completely head over heals in love with him before I gave birth to his daughter, I certainly would have been after for how he treated me in labor and the first couple weeks postpartum.

They were cropped to exclude things I didn't want on the pics lol... first I was checking mothering on my computer (my family saw these, I wanted no "Cant you even have a baby without going on that website?!" um no, that's what the websites for. lol) and the second... well as I said, family saw these pics. I had to crop out a part of me that no family member needs to see apart from my own husband.

How many chins is that? lol oh SO glad I'm nowhere near as large as I was that time

Then I started taking photos myself

I much prefer being behind the camera than in front of it (hubby telling his mom all the details of the birth and Mae's size so she could start bragging about her first biological girl ASAP... and getting an update on her picking up my older two from illinois, going back to michigan to get FIL, and then drive down here to North Carolina... go figure Mae would choose to be born the day my big two were supposed to fly home!)

[Shinyredstar]

Great pics! Thank you for sharing... It's pretty obvious your DH was fantastic support for you!

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by scowgirl 

On the subject of not liking how you look in pictures--I totally get it (I don't like how I look in pictures either), and during labor I can see how that would be a dealbreaker. I think if someone were in there taking photos at that time, particularly since this is my first, I would be anxious and at least a little distracted or self-conscious. I don't want to risk it contributing something negative to the experience, so I probably won't do it. I might ask DH to take a few if he feels up to it.

That being said, in general I personally feel very strongly that it's important for me to get over my dislike of how I look in pictures. DH recently scanned in hundreds of slides from his grandparents' travels and daily life. The ones of just places and things we basically didn't even save because they were meaningless to us. The ones that were really cool were the ones of grandma and his dad cooking over a campfire, or grandma and grandpa standing proudly by their first new car, or what have you. We didn't give a crap if grandma had cellulite in the photo on the beach or had an unflattering expression on her face. It's just cool to see your ancestors living their lives and looking happy. So we try to get a lot of photos with us in them on vacation, and likewise if birth were one of those things that I felt strongly about commemorating, I would try to figure out a way to make that happen in a way I could make myself comfortable with.

My 2 cents, anyway. I know not everyone feels the same and obviously that's totally fine. I'm not trying to lecture... this is just a subject I recently realized I felt passionate about. 

ETA: X-posted--Nicole said it better in far fewer words 

You made good points too.  One time my husband's grandma was reading to us from her journal from when her kids were little.  It was silly, basic stuff.  Today was 60 degrees and sunny, I took the kids to the park to play and then we came home and had roast beef for supper.  But, because she is so old, it was interesting!  I sometimes feel like I should even write stuff down about our day to day life - even just once a month, but I don't.

[Altair]

I have never regretted having a birth photographer at my last birth. Yea, it was odd having someone else there in my home, and there were a few times during the labor that I noticed her presence, but it wasn't a big deal and it didn't distract me at all from the labor!  And the fact that we eventually had to transfer made those pictures all the more sacred to me-- kind of proof that I went through that journey of s HB, even if I didn't get the end result of a HB.

Here's some of the g rated pictures from my birth from her website:

http://sarahtew.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/birthing-sion/#comments

The naked pictures are of course, much better.  ;-)

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by Altair 

I have never regretted having a birth photographer at my last birth. Yea, it was odd having someone else there in my home, and there were a few times during the labor that I noticed her presence, but it wasn't a big deal and it didn't distract me at all from the labor!  And the fact that we eventually had to transfer made those pictures all the more sacred to me-- kind of proof that I went through that journey of s HB, even if I didn't get the end result of a HB.


Here's some of the g rated pictures from my birth from her website:

http://sarahtew.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/birthing-sion/#comments


The naked pictures are of course, much better.  ;-)

Love them!

[scowgirl]

MaerynPearl and Altair--I love your photos! Thank you so much for sharing them.

[Jodie]

DH took some pictures during my first. My second I had a photographer friend take pics. This time I am going to have the camera rolling and video tape, also DH will take pics and maybe DD if she is awake, it will give her something to do.

This time around its only going to be the midwife team and our little family.

I didn't mind having the photog there at DS's birth she has been a friend since college, she even pitched in with counter pressure and stuff.

This time she will have a newborn when mine is born(we are due 6 weeks apart) and don't think she will be available.

I am going to employ her to take some nice professional newborn and nursing shots after the fact though.

[Iowa]

Altair, after looking at your photographs I'm definitely doing it!  So neat to recap the special day your baby was born.  And the nice thing is that I can just decide after the fact which ones I'm comfortable sharing and which ones I want to keep just for myself.  Makes me excited for delivery day:)

[sjdragonfly]

Thanks so much for sharing your photos, ladies! I don't think I'd be comfortable with hiring someone to take pictures, but after thinking about it, reading this and seeing your pictures, I think I'll leave my camera around for DP and our doula to take pictures as they will. It will be nice to have something to look back on and I bet that once the kid grows up, s/he will be interested to see them.

[MaerynPearl]

After this discussion I decided to get back in touch with the photographer who wants to get into photographing homebirths that offered to do mine free. She's one of my husbands coworkers wives (that's how we met) and I figure, if I meet up with her enough before the birth and just hang out in general, I'll probably be pretty comfortable with having her here. And even if I hate the photos of me... I'll have them for other women. Because I know I often talk about my homebirths on other sites I frequent and would love to be able to share them with anyone considering one herself.