Birth photography is both the most exhilarating and the most demanding genre I photograph. Its not planned, its not posed, it’s life as it’s happening with all the variables that come with that.
THE one regret I hear from clients who have used birth photographers in the past is that they didnt do their research right. Its not the amount of money they spent (as long as they got images they loved). Its not about having another person in the room.
If they regret anything at all, it’s that they hired someone they may not have chosen if they had asked a few simple questions.
So here are my Top 5 Questions you should be asking your birth photographer when you hire them:
How many births have you shot and do you have a portfolio?
This one may seem stupid and simple but you would be amazed by the number of people who hire a photographer for births who have never shot one before. Birth isn’t for everyone. The commitment it involves is not doable for many people. Others may find out that they do not feel comfortable in a labor & delivery environment.
The lighting conditions at births are very trying at times, sometimes having to shoot in almost complete darkness. If a photographer does not have equipment that can manage low light (not all cameras are made to handle this) or if they themselves have no knowledge of how to work in low light, you could end up with very dark, burry and grainy images. This is why looking at a portfolio is a good idea. Ask to see more than one birth if they have it.
Everyone starts somewhere. But do you want to be someones test run is what you have to ask yourself - if YOU are comfortable with someone trying out for the first time, great!! That photographer will be forever grateful to you. BUT if you are looking to capture a certain type of image, you need to make sure that you are hiring someone who knows without the shadow of a doubt how to achieve them.
Will you be on call 24 hours a day?
This one is a BIG one to ask. Most birth photographers will establish a date at which they will officially be on call for you. That should mean that no matter what time of the day you call them, they will come to you.
If the answer to this question is NO, I personally would say walk away now and keep looking. Any good birth photographer knows that birth is the most unpredictable thing in life and you have no control over. Even if you have a scheduled induction date, you may go into labor before that date. The L&D might be full and your induction gets rescheduled. Health reasons may warrant an earlier induction. Someones birth date is not set in stone until they take their first breath.
If they say Yes, this is when you need to ask them about certain things like “If you have children, do you have a reliable babysitter?” Or 2? Or 3? And that doesn’t mean their husbands because they usually have jobs too. Do they have someone who can take over the kids at 3 am if they have to run to meet you at the hospital? This is ESPECIALLY import if you are hiring a military spouse as your photographer - their service members often have odd hours and training that takes them away from home. Do they have a reliable back up plan that spans beyond their spouse is essentially what I am saying. If you’re due near a major holiday, will they be prepared to leave family preparations to be with you? Will they even be in town? Same goes for school breaks.
Do they have a backup photographer? Who is it?
Its good practice to have a backup and preferably one with the same skill level as the person you are seeking out. The purpose of a back up you ask? What if you go into labor and your photographer has the flu - would you want them in the room with you? Probably not. What if by some freak accident, they get into a crash on their way to the hospital. That back up is there to ensure that YOUR special day is covered, even if the photographer can not make it.
I also always recommend asking if you can meet with the back up so you can feel comfortable with them as well in the event they are called in.
Do you have a business license, business insurance & liability insurance? Do you have a birth photography contract? Has it been reviewed by a local attorney?
A professional photographer will have all of the above. Why does this matter? Well to start, it protects you. When you hire a professional, who does their business legally, you can rest assured that there is a 99% chance everything will go smoothly and you will have a great experience. No professional wants their business dragged through the mud and most importantly, a professional cares about you and what you hired them to do. I personally have heard countless stories, most of them first hand, of clients being left high and dry by their photographer because of out of town trips or babysitter issues. And well, when you are dealing with a business that isn’t legal and you have no written contract, your chances of getting reparation are slim to none. Not to mention the biggest thing of all - your very special day will have come and gone without the documentation you were dreaming of.
Whats happens if my birth doesn’t go as planned? What if I have a c-section?
No one wants to envision the worst case scenario on the best day of your life. But reality is, things do not always go as they were planned and your photographer should be able to tell you what their plan is if that was to happen. Most hospitals here do not allow photographers to go into the OR so what will be the course of action if you have a scheduled c-section? What about an emergency one? Some photographers give you refunds (partial or full), but the majority will come capture what they can of the day such as OR prep, the baby in the nursery, momma’s first moments back in the room with them,… Natural birth or section, its still your little ones birth story and should be told so find out what your photographers policies are on the subject.
There are a ton of important questions to ask and I feel like these 5 should give you a lot to consider when looking at a birth photographer.
There is one last aspect that is less a question to ask them but more a question to ask yourself: How much does the birth photographer cost?
I’m a firm believer in the old saying “You get what you pay for!” - photography, especially birth photography, is an area where this often applies. While family photos can be redone, birth is a one in a lifetime thing. The person behind the camera must not only know what they are doing, know proper protocol for hospitals, they must also be 101% dedicated to you and your family during this time
Birth photography demands a lot of time from the photographer, from on call to long hours at the hospital to hours culling through 100s of images and editing the best ones to tell your story. There is also the toll it can take on their home life when you take into consideration the fact that they may have to miss out on important things in their own lives such as birthday parties, recital, sports games and other family events. I know for my family, something as easy as a trip to the movies turns into a caravan of cars so I can leave at a moments notice without spoiling the fun for the rest of them. There is also the lightened workload that comes with being on call and having to turn away other clients to be sure our schedule is as “empty” as possible to avoid calling clients to cancel on them. Professional photographers charge appropriately for this.
Some people may say that SOME pictures are better than NO pictures when justifying why a cheaper birth photographer is a good idea but then I always tell people to consider “Is the image quality XYZ Photography is offering something a friend or loved one could achieve on their own?”. If the answer is yes, then consider asking someone close to you to share in your special day and be in charge of the camera so your birth support team can concentrate on you.
Below is my favorite example of an image from a cell phone next to an image I took at the exact same moment. We are trained to see the moment you want to relive.
At the end of the day, who you select to be your birth photographer is your decision, no one else’s. Hopefully, this post will leave you better armed with questions to ask potential candidates and make the best choice for you and your family.
