Surge in demand for professional birth photos in Queensland

IN a world where everything is documented, mums are now swinging open the delivery room doors and hiring professional photographers to capture every raw moment as their babies enter the world.

QUEENSLAND families are bringing in professional photographers to capture some of the most intimate moments of their lives in an exploding trend experts say is being fuelled by social media.

A string of photographers in the Sunshine State are specialising in childbirth photography as the number of families requesting their services inside the delivery room skyrockets.

Social demographer Mark McCrindle said times have changed since the days when dads were banned from the delivery room and believes there is now a bigger focus on the experience, rather than the end product.

Yvette and Daniel Walters moments after baby Noah was born. Picture: Stefanie Plum Photography

“Childbirth was a means to an end, it was all about the outcome, whereas now childbirth in itself has become a rite of passage,” he said.

Some of the state’s best birth photographers and their clients today share these emotional pictures, immortalising the joy, relief and tears of bringing a child into the world. Birth photographer Stefanie Plum said there was always pressure to adapt to lighting conditions and catch every moment.

Alysha Nuske hugs her sister during labour. Picture: Minna Burgess Photography

“I have one camera in hand and one on my hip as a back-up … I tuck my bag away and I try to stay as much out of the way for the doctors and midwives as I can,” she said. “Most clients want everything photographed, crowning shot and all, but the biggest thing that everyone’s after is the emotion between mum and dad when they meet their baby.”

Minna Burgess has been both in front of and behind the camera and used her photos to heal after experiencing difficult births with both children.

“It was quite traumatic, she had the cord wrapped around her neck and was without oxygen for a minute,” she said. “But looking back at the photos I’m able to focus on the whole birth story, not just the bit that went wrong.”

Mack Archbald meets the newest family member, little brother Nash. Picture: Stefanie Plum Photography

Mother-of-one Hayley McBride received a lot of attention for a tagged photo of her daughter crowning, which her photographer Angie Petersen uploaded to Instagram (with permission) last week after the social media giant announced it would end its censorship around birthing images.

“It’s actually helping to educate people, I’ve had a lot of people ask questions about childbirth because of the photo on Instagram so that’s pretty cool, it’s leading to more understanding,”Ms Petersen said.

Ms Petersen said she often acts as a secondary support person for new mums.

“I always know my clients really well by the time we get to the birth suite...so I’m not like a stranger in the room, I’m almost like a best friend ... at a birth in February I was literally holding my camera in one hand and holding her hand in the other.”

Ms McBride said she was comfortable with the image being viewed, and felt it was important to have the images to remind her of all the first moments between mum, dad and daughter that may otherwise have been forgotten.

Minna and Darren Burgess have an emotional first meeting with their second daughter Isabel in 2014. Picture: Alysha Nuske, Little You - Captured by Alysha

But University of Queensland’s Dr Karen Brooks has urged caution.

“There’s two ways of seeing it,” she said.

“One is that what’s private is no longer sacred, you can call it oversharing.

“But it’s also people desiring to share something really special and record it to for posterity for the kids – maybe there’ll be sharing regret, who knows.”

Cheryl Sheriffs from Ideal Birth Doula (left) coaching Marielle through her pains as partner John supports her during labour, 2014. Photo: Selena Rollason, Brisbane Birth Photography

Selena Rollason from Brisbane Birth Photography has photographed more than 80 births, including surrogacy births, home-births and caesareans and said she adapts a “documentary style” to shoot such a personal moment, rather than asking women to pose.

Hayley McBride holds her daughter moments after she was brought into the world. Photo: Angie Petersen, Desire to Inspire.​

“Birth sessions can produce anything between 150 and 500 photos. The amount depends highly on how the day progresses, how long we are with (them) and how long we stay post-birth,” she said “we will always guarantee to create a minimum of 150 photos from the day.”