Photographing Labor & Delivery

I have had the joy of witnessing and photographing three very different births. One mother had her baby boy in a hospital with an epidural, another went drug-free, and a third mother gave birth at home. Regardless of the outcome, I am honored to have been present and I hope that you will feel the same if given the opportunity. I hope that you will be prepared, encouraged and inspired after reading my tips.

Photographing Labor Is "LABOR":
Photographing labor is hard. You have to be ready to take a picture any and every second because you never know when the baby will arrive. You need to learn to hold a camera with one hand and hold a cold washcloth against the delivering mother at the same time. You have to be able to wiggle your way around numerous machines, family members and staff. Oh, and don't forget to hold the camera steady the entire time! You have to be able to stay there for the long haul. Labor can take hours. You might get tired, hungry and even antsy. Just remember that this is an honor!

Prepare Her:

1. Find out what she wants. Does she want "crowning" private-part shots? Does she want breastfeeding shots? How long does she want you to stay after the birth? What are some specific shots she really wants pictures of? Most women prefer black-and-white labor photography, but ask her what she wants.
2. If she's new to birth, forewarn her that she might not want you to be there the entire time. Ask her, "If you ask me to leave, do you really want me to leave, or just hide in the corner?"
3. Let her know that you are going to be up close and personal. Labor rooms get tight when she is about to deliver. You will be right next to her.
4. If you're feeling up to it, or know the mother personally, you can offer some coaching help. Ask her before labor if there is anything she would like you to say and do for encouragement.
5. Find out what she does NOT want. One of the births I photographed was completely silent the entire time. There was no talking allowed.

Prepare Yourself:

1. Make sure your battery is charged, always. Bring extra batteries just in case. Bring film if need be. Bring two rolls more than what you think you need.
2. Bring some light snacks and bottled drinks. DO NOT eat in front of the delivering mother. Just step outside for a few bites and quickly return. You wouldn't want to miss anything! One lady I photographed went from 5 cm to delivering in 20 minutes.
3. If you've never seen a birth before, rent a video. You don't want to be so caught up in "WOW" that you're missing the shots.
4. Try not to get too personally attached to the mother and baby during delivery. This is hard, but you can't focus on what's going on, you need to focus on photo opportunities. Again, rent a video.
5. Wear waterproof mascara or no makeup at all. You probably will cry at some point, and you don't want makeup to burn your eyes if you're trying to take pictures. Also, don't come looking beautiful; the delivering mother is going to look rough and you don't want her to worry about it. Also, you could get blood on you.

Labor Pictures
This might seem easy since the labor part lasts the longest, but it isn't because it is the most unpredictable. A laboring woman can go from lying on her left side, holding her husband's hand, to abruptly sitting up and yelling. Take careful consideration to all that is happening and be ready to photograph sweet and tender details.

• Pain Management. Obviously, you cannot photograph a woman getting an epidural in her back, but there are other ways the delivering mother will cope with pain. This is usually meditation, or comfort from her husband and/or coach. Again, look for special details.
  
  
• Get a wallflower view. Who's in the room? What's going on? What are all those machines?
  
  
• The coach. The coach is a huge part of the labor and delivery process. Try to photograph the tender, loving, care which he/she provides.
  
  
• The daddy. I love, love, love watching the dads. Try to sneak a few photos of his real emotion.

Delivery Pictures
I set my camera on "auto mode" for the delivery part. Rather than fiddle around with too many camera settings, I've always been pleased with the ability of my camera to take pictures of the delivery. You will want to have a high-speed film since there will be a lot of action. When photographing a delivery, the more the better. Just start snapping away and don't stop. This can get expensive for film users, but I'm sure the mother doesn't care if she had to pay $20 in film for the perfect delivery shot. Save money on developing by printing only single shots and getting doubles of favorites only.

• Pushing. There are funny facial expressions during this time. Regardless of what the mother says, I always photograph the concentration and determination on her face during pushing. If she doesn't like it, she can delete it. All my subjects have always been happy with the face shots. It can act as a great birth control ("OH, it hurt so badly!") or a time of empowerment ("Look what I did!").
  
  
• Delivery. I usually stand at the head of the mother and point my camera down. The pregnant belly will act as a shield to cover most of her private parts. If you can only photograph the mother at her feet, then try to position yourself so that the doctor will block some.
  
  
  
  
  
  Don't forget to point the camera at Dad to get his expression too! Photograph a clock or watch for the time born.
  
  
  

• The Baby. Try to zoom out and photograph the baby in comparison to the mother. Next, zoom into the baby's face while placed on mom's tummy. Photograph Dad cutting the cord.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Bonding. The first few seconds of a baby's life are amazing. Everyone is relieved that labor is over, but most of all, the parents are meeting somebody that they've been anticipating for 40 weeks.
  
  

Now, take a deep breath, inhale, exhale, you did it! You can take pictures of the baby getting weighed, or hand the camera to dad and go home. Watching a life come into this world never gets old. It's so beautiful and amazing that women can do such things! Just a small FYI, you might get baby fever. Do try to get a picture of you, mother and baby before you leave.

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