It was Memorial Day when Graham’s mom had her gorgeous maternity pictures taken. Perfectly timed, as she is a member of the armed forces 🙂  Only three days later we met for our final meeting regarding her plans for her son’s birth.  I always have a meeting with my birth photography clients in the beginning of the third trimester to talk in detail about the specifics of their birth plans as well as go over expectations, desires, and anything they do or do not want photographed.   Fortunately we had that meeting when we did, as only 2 days later I received a text from mom “I’m sure you didn’t expect to hear from me yet….I just wanted to give you a heads up since its early…they are going to induce me tonight/Tom morning.”    Yikes!

I had two sessions scheduled for Sunday (it was early for her, she was only 34 weeks) so I started to panic.   My husband, a physician, helped calm me down…”Vicky, you know that induction can take a while, even if they give her cervadil tonight, she may not have this baby until tomorrow night.”   I knew he was right, but I contacted my Sunday sessions just to give them a heads up that I may need to reschedule.

Sunday morning came and still no call, so I went to my 9am session.   After the session I gave mom a heads up that I would come by the hospital to check on them and take some of the “detail” pictures.   While I was there mom’s blood pressure started to clime and I didn’t want to add to the stress, so I headed home to grab a bite to eat and wait to hear more.   As the day went on I stared at the phone waiting to hear anything.   When I was there in the morning I had a gut feeling that a c-section would be likely (having one myself after an day long induction.)   At 5:30pm, I get an update from dad….still no progress, she is only dialted to 2.   After phone calls back and forth to my evening session client, we finally decided to go forward with the session- as it didn’t look like mom was progressing too much yet.

Finally, at 7:42pm I get a text “c-section” and “come in about an hour.”   When I first arrived at the hospital, grandparents and Graham’s older brother were in the waiting room.  Everyone was patiently waiting for this little guy to make his appearance.   Dad came in with the news…baby Graham is here!   Due to the fact that he was a bit premature, he was in the NICU, but seemed to be doing well.    I went back to the room and mom was out cold, getting some much deserved rest!   A little while later, dad, big brother, Grandma, and I headed back to the NICU to meet baby Graham.   With his adorable red hair, you knew who he belonged to 🙂    Unfortunately, mom was not able to see the baby just yet…she would have to wait until the morning.  Monday morning I headed back to St. John’s to capture some adorable images of Graham and his parents.   What a doll!

Over the past few days, Birth Photography has been getting some national publicity.  Beginning with a page 1 article in the New York Times, to coverage from online sources like Yahoo, MSN, and television shows like Good Morning America and The Today Show- it seems like it is getting a lot of attention.

The thing is, some….in fact most, of the attention hasn’t been focused on the reality of what birth photography is.  Instead of focusing on the incredibly touching images that photographers are able to capture, the media has chosen to focus on the “hot button” issues of the “crowning” shot (i.e., babies head coming out) and the “grossness” of potential images.   The reality is that birth photography is not like that.   In fact, in my pre-consultation meetings with mothers I go over which images they would like taken and which they would mind being shared (all families have the right to preview all pictures before I post anything on facebook or my blog.)   I have yet to have a mother want the “crowning” shot.

For me, birth photography is about telling the story of the birth of your child.   Capturing the emotions of anticipation, the challenges one encounters, and the joyfulness of the entrance your child makes into this world.   Does everything always go according to plan?  No.   Does every birth look the same?  No.  But having a professional there to capture your story is something that many have come to cherish.

Founder of The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (of which I am a member), Lyndsay Stradtner, wrote a great post in response to this recent media attention.  If you are curious about birth photography I suggest reading it here.    In addition, another phenomenal photographer who about her experiences having the birth of her child captured here.

One of my AMAZING past birth photography clients wrote up a testimonial for me to share on her birth experience.  This testimonial is something I will forever cherish and add to my website when I update it shortly.  For now, I will share it here:

I have to admit, when we first started talking about the idea of having a photographer at the birth of our son, I was a bit hesitant. This being our first, I was already nervous enough about the whole birthing process, and the thought of having an additional person in the room (one who would be taking pictures at that) was a bit intimidating. However, my husband and I talked about it and decided to take the risk and go for it. We couldn’t be more thrilled that we did!

The day was such a whirlwind, we hardly even remember how it went. Of course I remember the big things like getting the epidural, the baby’s first scream (yes, our baby is a screamer- not a crier, but a screamer), and the doctor announcing the sex (we decided to let it be a surprise). The things we never would have remembered are the little moments. The way my husband’s hands were turning colors from me squeezing so hard, the way our son came out grasping his umbilical cord, the very moment we laid eyes on him, the first time his little hands grabbed onto my finger- these are the moments that would have very easily slipped away. Thanks to the birth photography, we are fortunate enough to not only be able to recount the day with clarity, but we also have an incredible gift in these pictures that our family will treasure forever. Our son is now three months old and we’ve already watched the slideshow many times. We’ve found it especially useful after the rough days; it’s nice to be reminded how far we’ve come and how truly blessed we are.

Vicky was absolutely amazing. As I mentioned earlier, I was a bit reluctant at the thought of having someone taking pictures. The birth of a child is an incredibly special and intimate process. During our initial meeting, Vicky did a great job listening to my concerns about what I would and wouldn’t want photographed. I specifically remember telling her that I didn’t want to see anything that would make me not want to have another baby. She knew exactly what I meant and there were no pictures taken that I didn’t feel comfortable with. In addition to being very talented in getting the special moments without getting anything too private, she was also very hands off. I was so focused in the task at hand, I hardly even remember her being there. That being said, she was incredibly sweet during the few exchanges we did have. She made me feel very comfortable and relaxed. Never once did she ask us to do anything so she could get the shot she wanted; she was able to work with the natural flow of the day.

If you are at all considering having a photographer at the birth of your child, we highly, highly recommend Vicky Kegg with Blue Daisy Art. If you’d like to speak with a former client, let Vicky know and I’ll gladly talk about our experience with you. 

– Jennifer, Jordan, and Rylan Stouffer

I truly wished that I had someone there to capture the day my daughter was brought into this world.  Yes, my husband and our parents did their best to take some snapshots, but it’s not the same as a professional.  There is no “story” to the day, just glimpses.   In addition, after laboring all day, I ended up having a c-section.  Because of the pain medications I hardly remember even meeting my daughter for the first time, holding her during those first few hours and having my husband hold her for the first time.   I also certainly have forgotten many of the many details that made up that day.   I regret not having someone there to tell the story.

If you would like to see some images or slideshows from births that I have photographed, I have included a couple links below.

The Birth of Rylan James

The Birth of Gabriel Alexander

I look forward to hearing any comments or questions about your thoughts on birth photography!