Birth Photography is Graphic and GROSS… and 4 Other Myths About Birth Photography.
When most people hear birth photography, they think it is nothing but graphic and gory crowning shots, and they can’t imagine why anyone would want pictures (or video) of that. In reality, it is SO much more than that. My goal is to capture every tiny detail of the most transformative day of your life, from the small things like the room number outside your hospital room, to the big things like the tears of joy that drip down your cheek as you finally feel the weight of your baby on your chest for the very first time. I interviewed Monet Nicole from Monet Nicole - Birthing Stories, and I am going to separate fact from fiction, and debunk some common myths about birth photography, while talking about some ways that birth photography can add to your birth experience, instead of subtract from it.
Myth #1: Birth Photographers are Intrusive
Professional birth photographers know how to respect and honor your birth space. During my interview with Monet Nicole, professional and world-known birth photographer, she states, “Being a great birth photographer is not just about knowing how to use your camera, understanding different lighting situations and capturing monumental moments artistically in a situation that is completely unpredictable. It is recognizing the sacredness of birth, understanding the birth process and being supportive and accepting of each mother’s individual choices. A birthing person is at their most vulnerable when she is birthing and however her birth unfolds she will be forever affected by it.”. A professional birth photographer knows how to read the room and know when to set the camera down or step out to give the birthing family some space. They document the details of your story purposefully, without making you feel like the paparazzi is in the room with you. Monet has even attended births in “tiny homes” with minimal interruptions to the client’s birth experience (Moutrie)!
Myth #2: It’s All Graphic and Gory.
While there is a tiny bit of truth in this one (yes, birth can be messy), there is so much to birth outside the actual moment of birth. It’s not ALL graphic and gory. Truthfully, many birth photographer’s don’t even take crowning images at many of the births they go to (Rivera). Monet says, “My approach as a photographer is that of BOTH a documentarian and an artist. I walk into each birth with the aim to simply tell the story as it unfolds...while also recognizing that my artist eye will find the moments that a regular bystander might not recognize as poetic… I want my clients to find an image that takes their breath away not because it was one of the BIG moments of birth but because it was a sacred, small moment that was almost completely forgotten.”. A birth photographer’s purpose is to capture not just the emotional reactions during the moment of birth, but also all the tiny details from the day that you meet your baby for the very first time. The view out your hospital window, and the way your partner supports you through every contraction. A professional birth photographer also knows how to capture the beauty of each moment in the most flattering ways, so that you can focus on your baby. There is SO much more to your story than just the graphic stuff.
Myth #3: It’s Only for Home Births
Having attended close to 100 births, I have seen everything from planned cesarean births, to accidental unassisted home births. Birth happens everywhere, and no two birth stories are exactly the same. Birth is beautiful, no matter where it happens (cesarean birth is still birth). Even if you are planning a hospital birth with an epidural, birth photography is storytelling at the core of it. There are SO many beautiful moments that can be captured no matter where, or how, you’re choosing to have your baby.
Myth #4: My Partner/Doula Can Just Take Photos For Me
Some people head into their birth spaces and plan for their partner or family to take all the photos for them, only to end up with little to no photos, because everyone was so caught up in the intensity of the moment. I made this mistake with my first birth. When you hire a birth photographer, this will take the burden off your family, allowing them to be fully present with you. You can rest assured that you will get all the photos you’re hoping to because a birth photographer’s job is simply to document the beauty of this transformative process.
Birth photographers are not intrusive, they are storytellers that artistically capture the raw emotions, profound connections, and unmatched strength of your unique birth experience. It’s not just about the graphic images, but about preserving the immense love, hope, and memories for years to come. It isn’t just for those “instagram worth” births, it’s for every unique situation and story. I hope this information has opened your eyes to what birth photography really is, a practice that celebrates the beauty, vulnerability, and resilience of a major part of the human experience.
Works Cited:
Moutrie, Monet. “Giving Birth in a Tiny Home.” Denver Birth Photographer - Monet Nicole, Denver Birth Photographer - Monet Nicole, 21 Apr. 2021, www.monetnicole.com/stories/a-tiny-home-homebirth.
Rivera, Lindsey. “Common Myths about Birth Photography - Born: Salt Lake City Birth & Newborn Photography.” Born | Salt Lake City Birth & Newborn Photography, 29 Sept. 2019, bornbirthstories.com/blog/birth-photography-birth-videography-myths.