Woman to Woman. Mother to child.
Why Birth Photography?
It was three years into my job as a commercial photographer, when I photographed a childbirth for the first time. I had the opportunity to capture all kinds of moments, but birth had never been one of them.
I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Was I going to be in the way? Would the client decide it was too intrusive?
Quickly, I was following all the birth photography hashtags and birth campaigns on instagram. I wanted to know everything between how I should conduct myself and how to approach the medical staff involved. Just a few days later, at five in the morning, the text i’d been waiting for popped up on my phone.
“(Client name) is in labor. We are on our way to the hospital now.”
I jumped out of bed, not realizing at the time that because this was her first baby, I would have a few more hours then I thought.
After getting through the hospital doors and up to the room, it was clear nerves were high for everyone in the room.
The moment that baby came into the room, the truth would soon reveal itself:
The mother had given birth to both the baby, and a newer, unmet version of herself.
The transformation was anything but subtle, and I knew then, if we live in a time when we have the opportunity to document all kinds of different moments, there is not a more important story to be told, than that of childbirth.
Having since received a doula certification and attended dozens of births, it is clear that due to hormone changes, medication, and just pure nerves, mothers aren’t always able to be as present to the story in front of them.
Having a birth story captured through photo and film, creates the opportunity for a mother to grasp a moment that is often so sporadic, unpredictable, and unique in its unfolding, that make remembering the details surrounding it, impossible.
Birth stories offer an opportunity to experience the story again, bringing remembrance to the moment as well as those who witnessed it. When your birth is documented, it allows you to feel into the story and that transformation all over again. To bond with your child, as you re-witness the moment unfold.
Your story
Through honest & visceral imagery, I help mothers to take ownership of their birth experiences, and bear witness to their own unrivaled power. I believe posing, lighting, and creating a beautiful set are all part of telling the story. But all the preparation is meant to prepare for the most vital part, which is when the moment is accepted as it is, flow takes over, and truth is captured.
I find I am best suited for those who are ready to see their own strength through a different set of eyes. I’m for those families who want to share their stories — woman to woman, mother to child. I’m best suited for the families who know that they have more options than most of us are often presented with, that they have agency over their own bodies, and that their birth experiences can and should be guided by them. To connect and capture the stories of families like yours, and to be able to pass that experience on to the generations to come, is why I do what I do.
“Because I am so private I was worried that continually seeing a camera in that moment would add to the stress but that was not the case with Maddie when she was photographing the birth of our son. She was in the background during the whole process so I never felt uncomfortable. She got some wonderful photos without me being aware she was even in the room.”
- Alisha Neilson