Would you want a photographer to capture
the precious moments of your baby’s birth? A
growing number of us do, says
Rebecca Simpson.
P
regnancy photo shoots
have been popular for
a while and they’re
wonderful. Professional
photographers are able to capture
the beauty of being pregnant in a
way we could never do ourselves.
These shoots make a touching gift
for dads-to-be and they can serve
as a welcome boost to the flagging
body image of a heavily pregnant
mum. As pregnancy shoots become
more and more creative, we often
see the photos pop up on Facebook
or framed in a friend’s house. I love
them, but then I love anything about
babies and bumps.
Recently, an older and more
conservative gentleman in my life
questioned the appropriateness of
pregnancy photography, particularly
the public sharing of what he saw
as ‘intimate’ photographs. For a
generation of men who went to the
pub while their children were born
and may have never changed a nappy,
it’s a brave new world. Thank you
Mark Zuckerberg for bringing bumps
out of the closet.
So imagine the smirk that flickered
across my face when I read about the
momentum of birth photography.
Engaging a professional photographer
to capture your birth is officially
mainstream. Birth photography
is coming to a birthing suite, and
Facebook news feed, near you. Too
much? Never fear, it’s not all strained
faces and bloody action shots.
Birth photography is emotive and
beautiful. Yes, it can be raw and a
little confronting but that’s where the
true beauty lies. Birth is raw. Birth
is sometimes confronting. Birth is
beautiful and powerful.
Sharing the story
But it’s some people’s worst nightmare
– a high-resolution camera in the
delivery suite capturing every
grimace, every contraction, every
moment of your birth. For others,
it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to create a keepsake and share their
love-fuelled birth story with friends
and family.
Some mums are taking creative
control and upping the style factor of
birthing. Yes, it does sound very Hong
Kong. Mums wanting to look picture
perfect pre- and post-partum are
having their hair and make-up done
for the occasion. The maternity store,
Mayarya, has started providing a free
delivery service to any maternity ward
in Hong Kong, allowing the mother-
to-be or new mum the ability to receive
new nursing tops, nursing pyjamas, or
any of its maternity friendly fashion
within two hours of ordering.
Other mums are turning the
occasion into a creative expression
by crafting a birth story package to
be viewed by their children in the
future. These families style the shoot
with a birth story or an element of
creative consistency. This creative
direction allows mums with an eye
for detail to align their birth photos
and videos with a chosen theme
also used for other elements of their
pregnancy story, like baby showers or
home decorating.
The trend has taken off in the
western world. Australia, Canada,
the USA and the UK have already
seen a ground swell of support for
birth photography. Here in Hong
Kong, it’s tough to execute because of
tighter restrictions in birthing suites.
But don’t be discouraged, there are
ways round that. Birth photographer
Anna Todd has captured many
births and shares, “It’s possible to
capture the emotion and beauty
of a birth day without being in the
delivery suite. Birth day journeys
offer lots of poignant and touching
moments before and after delivery.
Labouring at home, the trip to the
hospital, siblings and family meeting
the new addition, leaving hospital
and the first moments at home can
all be a part of the touching, personal
story you create.”
Picture this!
March 2015
39
