Starting the New Year and A Commitment to Protect The Birth Space | Cape Town Birth Photographer

I’m back after a refreshing break. Creatively ready to go for a new year of chronicling birth stories. Also feeling completely restored after my car accident, regaining full strength in my shooting arm after alot of therapy. Thank you for your kind concerns and well wishes.

As I begin the year, this image struck me. After a baby had been born, so many phones out to capture a glimpse of her face. In this case, mom was loving having her room full of family and a warm atmosphere. It was full of joy. Some women love this, others feel its too much. It depends on the woman and on the circumstances surrounding the birth. But what happens to all these images? Does mom get them or do they live on other’s phones? Sure they get a photo of the baby, but did they notice how the parents were looking at their new child? And what about when the room goes quiet and she has moments to quietly bond with her baby? What about the mom that smiles for the family but just had a birth experience that was hard and already feels dismissed? These questions lead us to why for many women the need for a professional birth photographer is priority for them.

My commitment this year is not just to be a spectacular storyteller, that should be a given. My commitment is to be an even better birth space protector. To continue to assess what a mother needs whether its a supportive smile and nod, or to stay out of sight, or to capture a moment that will help her heal emotionally, or to stay silent once the crowd has left, or to laugh at her jokes in between contractions so she knows she’s not alone or to perhaps be the only one who said they are proud of her. To remember I am more than her photographer, I am the one on the team that will enable her to never forget this day she will carry always in her heart.