FaqS ABOUT

BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY

what is birth photography?

Birth Photography is a documentary type of photography. It tells a story of the day your child is born.

why do i need a birth Photographer?

Like your wedding day, the day you baby is born, is a life-changing and incredibly emotional day. You wouldn't think twice about hiring a wedding photographer, would you? Imagine having your birth journey captured professionally, so you can go back to those empowering moments of the labour and the moment you and your partner met your child for the very first time.

Another big reason is that it frees up your partner to be present, so he/she can be there to support you, to hold you, to be there for you, rather than trying to catch 'the moment' with a phone camera, in often very tricky lighting conditions. I'm pretty confident saying that you won't ever regret having those photos.

how much is it to hire you?

My package is $1190. This includes being on-call for you from 37th week onwards, unlimited amount of hours at your birth - yes, I'll be there for 30 hours, if that's how long it takes and travel within Wanaka, Hawea, Luggate. If you'd like me to travel further, ask me about a travel fee.

do you offer a payment plan?

Yes! In order to reserve a spot in my calendar, I require a non-refundable $250 deposit, and the remaining amount will be spread over the rest of your pregnancy due to be paid by 37 weeks. I take bookings from 12 weeks onwards.

what area do you cover?

I am based in Wanaka, however I will travel much further if you'd like me to. To name a few: Queenstown, Dunedin, Tekapo, Haast. Get in touch if you want to know more.

how graphic will my images be?

Probably the one question everyone is wanting to ask :) They will be as graphic or as modest as you wish. Birth photography can be shot in a way that doesn't show anything explicit at all. I can stand behind mum's shoulders or from the side to ensure nothing of a sensitive nature will be photographed. However, if you wish to have photos of the baby "crowning” and have more of a raw/uncensored style, I will be more than happy to shoot that too. There is an unspeakable beauty in the rawness of birth.

do you use a flash?

Yes, I do. If the lighting conditions are low, it is the only way to ensure good quality of the images. The flash will never be pointed at you or baby directly. It will always bounce of the walls. Generally speaking, photographers, who have shot hundreds of births say, that no mum has ever told them that the flash had been disturbing. However, if it is a problem for you, please let me know, and I will come up with a way how to shoot without it.

should i tell my midwife about having you at my birth?

Yes! You absolutely must discuss your plans to have a birth photographer present during labor and delivery, as early on as possible, with your midwife. Even though there are places where Birth Photography is well established, in our area, it’s a relatively new thing and most midwives have never had a photographer before. She may wish to speak to me to clarify some questions - please feel free to pass my number onto her.

when should i call you if i think the laour may have started?

As soon as you feel any changes at all, please let me know immediately! I cannot stress the importance of this enough. I would rather if it was a false alarm at 3am, than me missing the birth. I will need to arrange things for myself to be able to attend the labour and it might take up to 2,5 hours within the Wanaka area for me to arrive, and obviously more than that if I need to travel further. Please designate a support person to stay in contact with me and keep me updated on where you are in labor. When you are about 6 cm dilated, that is generally a good time for me to join you. However, this is not always the rule, and I will be relying on your midwife to keep me up with the progress. We will discuss this more at our consultation.

will you share my images online?

Well, I would love to, because I think that birth is a beautiful thing :) Plus, having these images in my portfolio helps other future parents, who are considering hiring me. However, I will never post anything without your permission, so if you feel strongly against it, I will honour your feelings.

what if i have a c-section?

There is a misconception, that having a c-section wouldn’t make for beautiful birth images, but guess what? Some of the winners of the Birth Photography Awards 2021 are C-section photos. So yes, they can be, both, powerful & beautiful.

If you have a planned C-section, please speak to you provider about your wish having a photographer present. We are now at a phase of trying to establish the relationships between providers and birth photographers, and your word will get us a lot further, than if I was to present the proposal. Ultimately, it depends on whether the doctor will or won’t let me in the operation room, and this goes for an emergency c-section too. Either way, there is still plenty to photograph during the labour and postpartum to have the full story painted.