My journey of Being a birth Photographer
I am Kortney, I specialize in Birth Photography in Southwest Missouri at Freeman and Mercy Hospitals and in NW Arkansas at The Family Birth Place at Northwest Medical Center, and home-births. From the moment a family anticipates their new arrival, to the unforgettable, life-altering experience of seeing that new little family member for the first time, there is no more meaningful or miraculous moment than birth. Through my birth photography blog, I invite you on my journey to explore and witness one of life's most sacred moments. As a SouthWest Missouri Photographer, I am so honored to be able to not only witness and document these experiences but also to help families tell their own stories.
BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY IS SO UNIQUE.
I get asked this a lot, and I am used to it by now. Birth Photography is unlike any other scope of photography. It takes some serious dedication and skill. I love what I do, and all my clients. We only accept a certain number per month. As one of the only birth specialists in the area, we are one of the only that offers an in-house backup photographer. Just in case one goes into labor late and one goes into labor early, I always have a trusted backup photographer on-call.
THERE IS NO SET DAY/TIME/LENGTH.
Births have no predetermined amount of time when it will happen or when it will end. We will be on call for clients for 3-4 weeks. This means 24/7 we will carry our phone everywhere we go. We take our camera equipment with us if we leave the house, and if we leave with family it’s like a convoy. In case we have to leave at a moment’s notice. We sometimes will miss out on special events (school plays, prom, dance recital’s) with our families. We have to pre-arrange childcare (which is not cheap) weeks in advance. We have to have 2 cameras and a variety of lenses to handle low light which is expensive as well, and we are always sending it in for cleaning and maintenance so we know that we have done our best to prevent a malfunction.
Think of birth photography like wedding photography except that birth photography has no set day/time/length. Instead of putting it in my calendar as a Saturday wedding day, I block off 4 weeks in my calendar and keep the phone by my side the whole time. Instead of planning for an 8-12 hour wedding day, I plan to have a babysitter ready to watch daughters for an unknown amount of time, day OR night, on any day of the week, with very short notice. When we get called in for a birth we have no idea how long we will be there. We could be away from our families for 10-30 hours or even more with home births.
What is Birth Photography?
Birth photography consists of artistic, documentary-style images taken throughout your labor and your child's birth and the immediate postpartum period in the most unobtrusive manner. I understand how to work discreetly to capture your story while respecting your birth space and the working space of the birth team.
why Should I Hire a Birth Photographer?
1. Birth deserves to be celebrated
In the hospital or at home, a planned C-section or unmedicated water birth — however it happens, birth is remarkable! You feel the weight of their warm body against yours and kiss that damp, fuzzy head. Where words fail to capture the depth of this moment, an artful photograph preserves all the emotion of your first minutes together.
Birth photography provides evidence of your incredible strength — and you may need that reminder during the grueling newborn days ahead.
2. Birth photography enhances family connection
Some people fear that inviting a photographer into their birth space will disrupt the intimate connection between a birthing couple and their new baby. I find quite the opposite to be true. Hiring a birth photographer allows your partner to be completely present with you throughout labor and delivery, and especially in those precious bonding moments after birth.
Give your partner the gift of experiencing this day fully, without worrying about getting a good picture.
3. Birth is unpredictable
There are no do-overs. Hiring a professional birth photographer means securing someone with the specialized equipment and knowledge to handle all the challenges a birthing situation can present. You want the person documenting this momentous event to have the technical skill and artistic ability to make art in the most unpredictable circumstances.
You didn’t trust your cousin to photograph your wedding — don’t leave her in charge of capturing the moment you become parents.
4. Birth is a team effort
A birthing mother deserves to be surrounded by people who know her, believe in and support her. Birth photographers are intimately acquainted both with the families they serve and also the birthing process itself.
People hire me not just for photographs, but also for the calmness I bring to their birth experience. A good birth photographer knows when to offer words of reassurance, when to quietly hold space, and how to artfully tell the story of your delivery as it unfolds.
Why is Birth Photography so expensive?
Due to the unpredictable nature of birth photography, time is not limited to an hourly fee. In addition, it includes on-call service, travel, backup photographer fees (so we don't miss your day), childcare if needed, as well as the selection and editing of generally 100+ images. Like your wedding day, you want to capture every detail to relive every moment. Memories fade, but they don't have to. Take it from me, you don't want to miss the opportunity.
How do I know you won't miss my Birth?
We understand Birth Photography is an investment. While nothing is guaranteed, we want to be there as bad as you want us there. Birth Photography is not just what we specialize in, but it's our passion.
As one of the only photographers in the area who specialize in birth, we offer an in-house backup photographer. That means you have 2 of us on-call. In addition, I don't travel the weeks leading up to your special day and I'm reachable 24/7. Just like the doctors and midwives.
With that said, if I was to miss a birth due to my own personal circumstance, you are covered in the contract to receive a full refund. If you're still unsure, I'm happy to cover more in our consultation.
THERE IS A PAYMENT PLAN OPTION.
For us, personally, we understand birth photography isn't an affordable luxury for everyone, but it is something I think everyone deserves the opportunity too have. This is why we've adopted a payment plan to fit any budget. If that's not enough, we also offer an Off-Call option as well as Gift Registry.
