Birth photography -- sneak peek #1

Unbelievable. That is the word that keeps coming to mind when I remember what it was like to shoot my first birth. It also is the same word that I use when I describe what it was like to shoot a second birth just a week and a day after the first one. I have a feeling every experience will be just as remarkable, just as beautiful, just as unforgettable.

I had the privilege of photographing the birth of my sweet neighbor's fifth child last month. And then, I had the honor of shooting my new friend from church's c-section birth shortly afterward. I am still going through all of the images from both experiences (thank you for being so patient, April & Erin!) and I LOVE editing these. I also LOVE that both of these amazing women welcomed me into the room with them to capture one of the biggest days of their lives. I love how brave and unbelievably strong both women are and I will never forget the opportunities they gave me to be included in their "birth days."



For first peeks, here are the pictures of the birth of Cole Z., the third son (fifth child!) of my awesome neighbors, April & Dan. The photo above of is April and her best friend Mandy, who has been present at all five of the Z kids' births! What a lucky gal! Below is April and Dan holding their own baby pictures. April has made it a tradition to bring in baby pictures at each of her births -- ones of her and her hubby but also of her other kiddos when they were newborns. She said she loved to compare what each sweet babe looked like when they were first born.

I cannot express how patient, how strong-willed and how beautifully transparent April was throughout the whole process. She was a week overdue and her labor was long and slow ... up unti the very last hour and a half, when things just went super fast!


Walking the halls with Mandy.



Baby Cole, born Sept. 16, 2009. April brought that child into the world naturally -- without any epidural at all. It was her first completely natural birth in all of her five.





Apparently all of the Z. kids had that same little quivering lip.





The proud daddy and his new son.


Thank you so much April, for EVERYTHING you are to so many people. To your family, your friends, your neighbors ... you are an inspiration to me in so many ways and I am blessed to be your friend.

Stay tuned for more pictures from Cole's birth as well as pictures from the c-section birth of little Penelope!