Since my second pregnancy, I knew I wanted to photograph births. To document such an intimate, beautiful, and completely raw moment it’s been in my dreams for long.
And today, I can say that nothing about my work fills my heart more than to capture the magic of new life. To photograph births is a joy. Yes, it takes a lot of work and being on-call is not for everyone. But to me, it’s worth it.
One month ago I photographed a beautiful and gentle home birth here in Amsterdam. Just one month since I heard the first cry of a newborn and my overwhelmed heart almost stopped beating.
Many people ask me how I suppress my emotions during a moment like that. And the truth is I don’t. Most of the time I’m so focused on capturing what’s going on, trying to not miss any detail, that my brain and my soul are in a different place.
But the second I can put my camera away, oh wow.
Nothing floods more emotions that seeing and holding your child for the first time and if I’m there to capture it, I’ll feel it too.
My approach to birth photography
There’s a quote of Alfred Eisenstaedt that I love. It prays “It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter”. Alfred didn’t photograph births but his words resonate in me every time I schedule a new photoshoot.
Like any other thing in your life, my goal is to photograph your birth as it flows. To turn your memories into images that you can hold and preserve.
Images that help you to remember.
And like I do with most of my clients, I care about your experience having me there. I want to click with you. It matters to me that you feel happy about having me there.
Yes, during birth I’ll do my best to be a fly on the wall, but I am still a human being: I breathe, I look, I move around and for moments I could be standing pretty close.
To know about you
That’s why I schedule an in-person meeting. So we can see and feel if we’re a good match.
But also, I want to listen to you. To know your fears, your dreams, how you feel.
Are you aware of how powerful your body is? How are you approaching the wild of giving birth?
Once you choose me, if you’re planning a home birth, ideally we’ll meet again at your home. That will allow me to see and imagine how I could move there and how much light I may have.
If you have older children and you want them to join you during the birth, I’m open to meet them too. For them, it may be better if I’m not a complete stranger during such an intimate moment of your family.
Every birth is a different story
Nothing is more empowering and nothing more unique than birth. It changes you completely. It changes your family, your priorities, your body, your dreams, and life.
During such an intense experience your mind is rather in a different realm. You’ll be dealing with emotions and feelings, trying to listen to your body while breathing deeply. Focusing on every contraction. Going through the wild.
It’s one of the most important experiences you’ll have in your life. And yet, it’s hard to assume you’ll remember it all.
If you want to hold the memory of how it was to look at your baby for the first time, click here to see my packages and connect with me.
Who knows, we may click with each other!