Although, I highly recommend having your birth(s) photographed, I do think it's a brave act for a Mom to decide to have her birth photographed! The idea can be a little uncomfortable... the thought of someone taking pictures of you in not always flattering light and/or angles and during a really intimate moment...can you say nerve wracking?
So, I asked Laura, proud Mom of Jackson, whose birth I photographed, to write a few words that may calm any fears that you may have regarding birth photography. I hope you'll agree that documenting this precious time in your families life is so important!
There are many events in your life that you want to make sure you never forget and your child's birth would be one of the top events. The irony is that these events you want to remember the most are often the hardest to remember due to how they are so frantic and busy. This was our thought process and what ultimately led us to decide to hire a birth photographer. We had a peace of mind knowing that this beautiful moment would be a forever lasting memory caught in photos and that Ben could focus on the most important thing that day... his beloved wife and son.
Now, you can't just hire anyone to photograph your child's birth. You need someone who is kind, compassionate and who can empathize with what you are going through. Those characteristics barely begin to describe Lindsey Lingenfelter. At our maternity shoot, which was the first time we had met her in person, we felt like we had known each other for years! She is so down-to-earth, easy to talk to, and easy to work with.
The day of Jackson's birth, we called Lindsey and she met us at the hospital, ready and available. She arrived in plenty of time to document the special moments with our families before labor became too intense. Our families really enjoyed getting to know her as she captured these special moments.
Initially, we had reservations about having other people in the room, as we are moderately conservative people. But, Lindsey did a fantastic job quietly capturing the delivery without us even noticing. The photos that she took were so tasteful that we would show them to anyone. Lindsey photographed Ben as he was able to “catch” Jackson and hold his son for the first time. The sheer joy (on Ben's face) caught in the shot alone affirmed our decision in hiring Lindsey as our birth photographer.
Without hesitation, we will hire Lindsey to photograph the birth of our next child.
-Benjamin, Laura, and Jackson Ladd
