WHEN LOOKING FOR A BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHER...

 

Before securing your birth photographer, it's important to meet and get to know your photographer, as well as to discuss your unique journey and expectations.

 

Things to discuss:

• on-call coverage for the weeks surrounding your due date, to ensure flexibility to attend your birth at any time, day or night.

• back-up photographers on standby if you so desire, to safeguard coverage of your event. 

• level of coverage: labour, delivery and post-partum stages. Make sure the photographer can tell your unique story at home and hospital locations. Generally, documentation will begin once labour is considered “established” up until 2 hours post delivery. Every birth is different however, so discuss how flexible your photographer is.

• The documentation of birth in the hospital setting is subject to hospital policy and staff permission. How will you and your photographer formalise your request for professional birth photography? It’s important for care-providers to see that birth photography is a consumer driven service, and valued as a birth choice.

• In the event of a Caesarean Section, photographic documentation can not be guaranteed and is subject to hospital and staff approval. Certain hospitals and care-providers are more accepting of birth photography in theatre than others. It’s important to discuss this issue prior to booking photography.

• Is your photographer personally prepared to deal with every eventuality and scenario within the birth space?

• Can your photographer hold the space for you in the ways that you need? What is their "bedside manner" like? How will they get on with staff, family and friends in your birth space?

• Can your photographer manage the technicalities of lighting you plan to birth in?

• will you receive a sneak peek of your images? Will the photographer provide some kind of announcement slideshow?

• When will you receive your images / products? How will they be presented?

• What is their privacy policy, are you happy with their contract and do they have public liability insurance?

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