In the Aftermath of the incredibly pleasant surprise to hear that one of my images placed as Honorable Mention in the 10th annual international Association of professional Birth Photographer’s contest…
I’m still feeling it is all surreal.
IAPBP (International Association of Professional Birth Photographers) was founded 10 years ago by Lyndsay Stradtner of Life in Motion Photography.
Though I photographed about a dozen births before I joined the organization five years ago, I have been a proud member for the last five years
Since then, I have attended nearly 150 births in south Florida
The organization does an annual image contest and I have always made sure to apply, but as you can imagine with all the incredibly outstanding artists in 52 different countries and 1140+ members, acing the contest with a winning image is every birth photographer’s greatest annual challenge.
Standing distinguished among globally incredible on-call artists who work under the hardest lighting and environmental conditions is such an honor in itself and I have enjoyed submitting my images to the contest on an annual basis to see how much we have all grown as artists, but also to see how the world has changed regarding Birth Photography.
10 years ago when the organization was founded, I was not yet a mother.
7 years ago, and already 3 years into the organization’s launch, I became a mother to my now seven-year-old, but back then, I had not even heard an ounce of what a Birth Photographer was.
4 1/2 years ago when I was giving birth to my second child, it was really hard to find a full-time Birth Photographer who was regularly, every month, capturing births. It was so challenging to find a birth photographer who was also truly a birth worker at heart, who was able to commit to a full-time on-call schedule.
I’m so incredibly blown away with what has happened in the world with the shift of people learning about the power and transformation of birth, and welcoming artists who are also birth workers at the core into the sacred birth space.
After 5 years of being a member of IAPBP
Nearly 6 years of birth photography and being on-call
I am SO PROUD to see my image awarded
Honorable Mention in the 10th annual Contest
The Story Behind The Image…
Behind the scenes photo of myself photographing my client, her husband and baby by Martha Lerner of Zenmamalove.com
I remember when I first met my client. She was pregnant with her first baby and she had a long induction in the hospital with one of our awesome south Florida CNMs (Certified Nurse Midwives) in Boca Raton, FL — Courtney McMillian of Boca Midwifery.
Here’s a photo of my client meeting her first baby in the hospital, December 2017
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When my client announced to me she was pregnant again, I was so excited to learn that her son was getting a baby sister. This time my client wanted a different experience, a more hands-off approach and natural, unmedicated birth experience. I was eager to support her through this. With the help of her Licensed Midwives, Gelena Hinkley and Sandy Lo of Peaceful Pregnancy Pathways, and her labor doula Martha Lerner of Zenmamalove, my client brought her baby girl into this world just before the sunrise, in what ended up being quite a precipitous birth. I am so glad she had the birth she envisioned (for the most part — because her labor was so quick there wasn’t enough time to fill the tub for a water birth!)
I am just so glad it was all in the comfort of her home where she could truly enjoy as much of it as possible, without all the wires, tubes and paperwork, just as she had wanted!
In my image that was award Honorable Mention, a very adorable, giggle-inducing capture, my client's older son, who’s birth I captured December 2017, came into the room to meet his baby sister (magically he slept through his mom’s labor). At first he was totally enamored with his baby sister, but when she suddenly started crying, I can only imagine big brother’s reaction is a case of reality sinking in that he is no longer the only baby of the family :)
I knew this would be my #1 image to submit into the 10th IAPBP contest this year when I saw it happening in live action at my client's home. This is the moment we all think about as parents when we are having our second child, how are they going to react to their little sibling, we all want them to love their baby sibling, to be best friends, so we imagine every possible scenario. I think sometimes they totally catch us off guard, surprise us with their little reactions to being promoted to big brother :)
I’ll never forget this amazing family and the amazing journeys we have been on together in the last 3 years — going from an inspiring couple to family of 4!
Behind the scenes photo of (from left to right) of my client, her baby, her mother, and myself with her two midwives by Martha Lerner of Zenmamalove.com
Behind the scenes photo of myself photographing my client’s husband holding his daughter by Martha Lerner of Zenmamalove.com
Behind the scenes photo (from left to right) my client’s mother, older son, my client with her baby and husband and myself by Martha Lerner of Zenmamalove.com
My heart flutters
not only for this image having won
Honorable Mention
But what really took my breath away is that
this image placed
in the top 10%
of all 702 entries from 22 countries
Looking at this incredible gallery of 702 submissions from 22 countries
I am so incredibly proud to be part of this
outstanding professional community of on-call birth worker artists.
I LACK THE WORDS TO PROPERLY THANK THE AMAZING BEHIND THE SCENES SUPER HEROeS THAT MAKE IAPBP POSSIBLE AND THIS IMAGE CONTEST SO INCREDIBLE, BUT I WANT TO DO A SHOUT OUT TO THE AMAZING ORIGINAL FOUNDER LYNDSAY, WITHOUT YOU AND JASON, IAPBP WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK LIZ COOK. I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. YOU TOOK OVER AS THE HEAD OF IAPBP AND YOU RAN WITH IT LIKE FIRE. IAPBP IS AWAKE AND A POWERHOUSE THANKS TO YOUR TIRELESS WORK AND VISION. WE HAVE BECOME A TEAM ON A UNITED MISSION.
BROOKE FLANAGAN, OF NOVA BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHER, YOU HAVE BEEN HUSTLING IN THE SIDELINES FROM YOUR COMMITMENT AND PASSION TO SOLIDARITY WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION, I AM PROUD TO CALL YOU A FRIEND AND HAVE WALKED ALONGSIDE YOU THROUGH THE UPS AND DOWNS OF OUR AMAZING TRANSFORMATION.
I cannot wait to see where this incredible organization goes in the next 10 years
I can’t wait to look back and have seen myself as a member for 15 years.
I cannot wait to see what majesty and beauty unravels in the world over the next decade.
As I look ahead, I can’t wait to see you in 2030.
I wanted to also share with you my other images that I chose to enter into the contest this year:
If you’d like to find a birth photographer near you, visit birthphotographers.com and use our super easy search engine!
If you’d like to view all the winners of this year’s contest, and all the 702 entries, click below:
(https://birthphotographers.com/2020-birth-photography-image-competition/)
