Why should I hire a birth photographer? My family can take the photos.
Having an experienced birth photographer there will ensure the beautiful story of your baby’s birth is told through photos. You are the one giving birth and as mamas ourselves we know it is seriously the most amazing experience EVER- but there are still details you will miss from your hospital bed. It allows any family & friends (if any) and more especially your partner to support you and not to worry about missing a moment. It ensures the little details are captured that someone else might not think to photograph. Let your supporters hold your hand and be your cheerleader. We ensure you will have a documented story that you will be able to relive any time you want!
Honestly…won’t it be weird to have you there? You are a stranger.
Between the two of us we have had 4 babies combined. We completely understand that privacy is very important in a delivery. We do not want to be there to make you uncomfortable. We want to be there to capture everything you are going through. You guys…it’s an amazing experience and to be able to look back at what you went through to bring life into the world and relive that experience through pictures is something out of this world. The emotion during birth is so raw. You will know anyone you invite into the room, and MAYBE your doctor. Other than that, you probably won’t know any of the staff who honestly spends more time with you than the doctor does. They are there to help you bring life into the world. You will have to put faith in them and trust their expertise. We want you to trust us so we can capture these beautiful moments for you so you have them to cherish for forever!
Will you see my bits and pieces? (come on…we had to make things a little light up in here 🙂 )
Birth photography is a documentary of the raw emotion you are portraying while bringing life into the world. It’s meant to capture just that… not the doc’s view of birth. We will talk in depth about what you want/don’t want and what your vision is. We promise to respect your wishes and understand things can change within the moment. Usually we stay behind your shoulder and /or at your hip. We will stay out of the way of the staff because they are the experts here and you won’t even know we are there!! Our goal is to catch the emotions, not get too personal.
Will my Doctor allow you to be in the room?
Great question! Other than you doing all the work on D-day, this will also be your “job” for us. Please make sure your doctor and the hospital you will be delivering at will allow us to be in the room. Some hospitals and /or doctors limit you on the amount of cheerleaders you have in your delivery room and they may include the photographer as one of them.
If your either scheduled for a C-section or your delivery results in an emergency C-section, the doctor and/or hospital may or may not allow your photographer in the OR. Please discuss this with your doctor in advance so that your photographer knows what to do in the event this happens. If the doctor does not allow your photographer in the OR-then do not fear!!! We will stick around and wait for Daddy to come out of the OR to introduce baby to the family. Seriously don’t worry…we can still tell a pretty cool story here!
Please be clear with your doctor on what you would like documented for your delivery. Some doctors or hospitals restrict photography during certain parts of the birth. So please make sure you tell us what your doctor’s expectations are in advance. But just like a C-section…we promise-no matter what-we can still create a story even if there is a restriction here and there.
When should I book my session?
Due to the fact that your babe is the one in charge here we completely understand that things can change literally in an instant. The sooner you tell us your due date and book us the better. That way we can have you on the calendar and make sure we don’t book too many babies around the same time. We are essentially ‘on call’ so we take a limited number of births each month.
When do I tell you I am in labor?
Great question because this part is really important to make sure we arrive on time. We need time to gather our things as well as make sure our little ones are situated so we can be with you for the extent of your delivery. Our goal is to arrive at the hospital when you are somewhere around 6-7cm dilated. So here is what you need to assign to a very important person:
-Call when you think you are in labor (we understand it can potentially be false as well).
-Then text your when you are heading to the hospital. A text works here because we will have all eyes on our phone at this point.
-Once the doctor confirms you are in active labor and being admitted, please give your photographer one last text and we will be on the way!
Will you still be able to come if I go into labor at 3 o’clock in the morning????
Yes! As said before, we understand the babe is in charge here and might come whenever he or she wants to. As long as no unforeseen circumstance happens on our end- we will be there! We are fully aware we may get a call in the middle of the night which is why we take a limited of births a month. Please make sure somebody is in charge of contacting your photographer no matter what time things start.
What if something medically goes wrong with my baby(ies)?
We pray everyone has a smooth and easy birth but we know sometimes things don’t go as planned. Heaven forbid your baby(ies) go to the NICU at this point it will depend on the hospital’s policies. We promise to capture any and all memories we can- assuming you are comfortable with it. If the medical staff tells us to back off then we will have to do just that. If the staff allows us to follow your partner to the NICU then we will be there! If not, sometimes there is a party going on in the waiting room with your family and friends. We will join the party and capture those emotions from the ones who love you most!
Will my images be all over the internet?
Not if you don’t want them to! This is a very private event and we will do whatever your are comfortable with. You will receive your images via an online gallery. We can put that gallery on lockdown with a password. If you do not want a soul to see your gallery then we will hide it as well as password protect it and only anyone who you send the link and password to will be able to view it. IF you choose to allow us to use your images for our website and/or blog, then we will discuss which images you do not want the world to see.
How much does this cost?
This is a very personalized session. Please contact us to discuss the cost.
What if you can’t make my birth?
Unfortunately this can happen. We hope not of course but there is good news. Coco Alley is made up of TWO people! We know that is not ideal to have a different photographer other than the one you had been talking to but we trust one another with not only our business but our very own children. If you love and trust one of us we can assure you will love the other!