{"id":4121,"date":"2019-01-28T13:10:37","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T13:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/?p=4121"},"modified":"2020-11-03T17:19:00","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T17:19:00","slug":"five-tips-for-breaking-into-birth-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/five-tips-for-breaking-into-birth-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Tips For Breaking Into Birth Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\">\u201cJust so you know.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I might throw up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">That\u2019s what I confessed to this beautiful and amazing mama when I offered to photograph the birth of her third child.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Fortunately, for me, she accepted anyway.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This was before I started my business.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Before I had ultimately found my heart in family documentary and birth photography.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And before I was confident that I could indeed shoot a birth without fainting, cringing, judging, quitting, or even vomiting.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth10.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4131\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth10.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth10.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth10-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth10-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth10-570x380.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">For me, birth is the single most moving and visceral of human experiences.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>There\u2019s nothing more powerful and humbling to photograph than labor and delivery.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It can also be messy, loud, smelly, fast-paced, snail-paced, and overall emotionally draining.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If you\u2019re itching to make the journey into photographing births here are a few nuggets you\u2019ll want to consider.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">\n<h3>Educate yourself.<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Do the terms <i>breech<\/i>, <i>en-caul<\/i>, <i>placenta previa<\/i>, and <i>station -1<\/i> sound like something from a sci-fi movie?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If yes, then it\u2019s time to start integrating yourself into the birth community, my friend.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Learn about the stages of labor and delivery, the differences between medicated and unmedicated births, and the role of OBs, midwives, doulas, and nurses.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Read legit birth stories.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Ina-Mays-Guide-Childbirth-Gaskin\/dp\/0553381156\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i>Ina May\u2019s Guide to Childbirth<\/i> <\/a>is an excellent resource, particularly for mamas delivering without medication.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Hook up with a local doula and pick her brain.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The more you know, the more comfortable you\u2019ll be during those surreal hours and high-intensity moments of labor and delivery.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4122\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth1.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth1-570x380.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a target=\"_self\" href=\"http:\/\/goo.gl\/1m7RF7\" class=\"stag-button stag-button--large stag-button--green stag-button--normal stag-icon--before\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fa fa-desktop\" ><\/i>Try JPEGmini Pro For Free Now!<\/a><\/h3>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">\n<h3>Be humble.<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Understand that you are in a woman\u2019s sacred space.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>During a portrait session or even a wedding at times, you might well be the dang most important person there.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But at a birth, you are last in the pecking order. You don\u2019t tell the midwife to move aside so you can get a shot.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You don\u2019t ask a laboring mama to turn her head towards the light.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You do need to stay out of everyone\u2019s way with ninja-like skills.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And you may be kicked out of the room or asked not to photograph at times.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Swallow your pride and do as you&#8217;re told because it\u2019s not about you.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBut what if I don\u2019t get the shot I wanted, Christine?\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Well, that happens.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>There are a lot of <i>would-be<\/i> stellar shots, and that\u2019s OK.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Because there are also some stellar shots you <i>will<\/i> get.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4123\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth2.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth2-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth2-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth2-570x379.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">\n<h3>Know low and artificial light.<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Most women do not give birth outside during golden hour.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Although I\u2019d be first in line to photograph one if she did.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>In many birthing spaces, lights are kept low at least until the moment of delivery.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>There may be no windows in the room.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Some birth photographers will bounce an on-camera flash.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Others do not use a flash at all.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Either way, be comfortable shooting in low light.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>In hospitals, you\u2019ll also have the lovely overhead fluorescent lights to tackle.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If your shutter is higher than 1\/60th be aware that some frames may look pink and others green because of the cycling of the overhead lights.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But it\u2019s nothing that can\u2019t be fixed in post-production, thankfully.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4126\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth5.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth5-570x380.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">\n<h3>Understand an on-call life.<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p3\">I\u2019ve heard more than once of a woman hiring a photographer who did not specialize in birth to photograph her labor and delivery.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>When active labor began, those photographers tapped out, stating it was an \u201cinconvenient time.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Even if you refund your client\u2019s money, that\u2019s an incredibly <i>crappy<\/i> thing to do to someone who has trusted you to document this once-in-a-lifetime moment for her and her child.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>During your on-call time, you give your client much of your life.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You stay close to home.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You lay off the beer and wine or anything else that dulls your faculties.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If you have kids, you have childcare arranged for any moment that you might need to leave them to attend the birth.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If you contracted a client who could deliver over a holiday, you are mentally prepared to miss that time with your family.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You get your butt out of bed, grab your gear (which is always ready to go, BTW), a cup of coffee, and head to your client, no matter what time of day or night you get the call.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>An on-call life is no joke.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4127\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth6.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth6-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth6-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth6-570x380.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">\n<h3>Know your worth and charge it.<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p3\">Because being on call can be emotionally, logistically, and physically exhausting.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Because you don\u2019t know how long you will be present at a birth.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Because you are working your arse off to get amazing shots while not impeding anyone else\u2019s job.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Because your lighting conditions will most often be less than ideal and you\u2019ll have more work to do in post-production.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Because you are giving VALUE that your client may not fully realize until that child graduates from college.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Because of all these reasons and more, it\u2019s imperative that you do your math.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Know what it takes financially to photograph a birth and all that goes with it.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Don\u2019t forget that you get a salary too.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And then price accordingly.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Avoid falling into the trap of \u201cOh, I\u2019ll just charge $200 to try it out.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Because now another person in the world and all of her friends and relatives will believe that\u2019s what it takes to make a living as a birth photographer.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And that isn\u2019t close to sustainable, my friend.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Run your numbers.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Tell your clients your regular price. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Then, sure, offer your first few births at a lower portfolio-building rate. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If you need help figuring it all out, there is an awesome community of birth photographers to offer support and education.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019d start <a href=\"https:\/\/www.birthbecomesher.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth7.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4128\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth7.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth7-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth7-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Wright_Birth7-570x380.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p3\">Christine Wright is a family documentary and birth photographer, who makes pictures in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>She giggles every time Jpeg Mini makes a sound notification that her files have been optimized.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You can view her work at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.christinewrightphoto.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">www.christinewrightphoto.com<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cJust so you know.\u00a0 I might throw up.\u201d That\u2019s what I confessed to this beautiful and amazing mama when I offered to photograph the birth of her third child.\u00a0 Fortunately, for me, she accepted anyway.\u00a0 This was before I started my business.\u00a0 Before I had ultimately found my heart in family documentary and birth photography.\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":4129,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,4,36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newborn-photography","category-photography","category-photography-tutorial"],"blocksy_meta":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}