.PREPARING FOR YOUR BIRTH STORY SESSION.
Why I chose to offer Birth Photography
My decision to choose to incorporate birth story services into the different kinds of photography services that I offer, came to me during a time when I was looking to grow, as a woman & as an artist. It came right on time! One of my past wedding couples had casually asked me if I “..would be willing to photograph their son’s home birth?” My immediate reaction: ABSOLUTELY!
Needless to say, It would be an absolute honor to be chosen out of all of the very talented birth photographs in the area, to document this very special milestone for you & your family.
Below you'll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions that I have gotten in regards to birth story photography. This guide will help you to get a better understanding of how I'll approach your birth story.
Why hire Alana Adetola Arts Photography, LLC as YOUR birth photographer? Hiring a professional photographer to not only be present, but to be taking photographs during one of the most vulnerable moments of your life is not something that should be taken lightly. My job as your birth photographer is to allow you, your partner, your family members, & friends to truly be in the moment during the entire birthing process.
I have a “fly on the wall” approach to photographing birth stories. Meaning, I will be carefully document these moments for you & your family, which in turn, will allow you to remain fully present for your child’s birth & allowing me to use these images to tell a visual story of this very special day.
What does your ‘Birth Story’ photography package include? I will be available to you & your family on an on-call basis [1] week prior to your due date and [2] weeks after your due date. Once I arrive, I will remain with you for as long as it takes during the birthing process and, if you’d like, I can remain present for a couple of hours after the birth of your newborn as well.
Client investment for day of labor & full delivery birth story coverage includes:
FREE unlimited e-mail correspondence & in-person consultation [optional].
On-call availability for [1] week prior and [2] weeks post due date.
Full photographic coverage from the time I arrive until well after baby is born.
Professionally edited, high-resolution images - digitally delivered via private online photo gallery for image downloading & print ordering.
Full reproduction rights for personal printing, posting & sharing
When will you arrive and how long will you stay after the baby arrives? I would prefer to arrive as soon as you know you are really in labor. This will give me time to document some important details. We know that giving birth is a very vulnerable and intimate event. It’s helpful to begin the journey along with you so that I'm not walking into your space the moment that things start to get really intense. I am respectful during your birth and will be as invisible as you need me to be.
When should I officially book my Birth Story session? It’s recommended that you officially secure your spot on my calendar as soon as you know that you would like for me to be there! As a lifestyle, wedding & commercial photographer, my schedule tends to fill in fast. I would hate to miss the opportunity to be YOUR birth story photographer.
You mentioned that you are a lifestyle, wedding & commercial photographer as well, what if I call you to come to my birth when you have another session scheduled? I will make it very clear to my clients who have sessions booked around your due date that I have a birth story session scheduled. If I am called to your birth, I will contact any of those clients to reschedule their session - and I will try my best not to schedule birth story sessions during the peak months of the wedding season. ***Please do your best to have the support around you to give me as much advanced notice as possible - even if you think you might be going into labor .I know sometimes this is not the easiest thing to do, but keeping this in mind from the very beginning will be helpful to us all in the long run.***
Do I have the option to have you step out of the room at any given time? I have been photographing people for over 10 years. My experiences have allowed me to photograph clients who have a number of different levels of comfort. I do realize that some people will certainly want to see every little detail. I also realize that there are clients who would prefer me to only photograph from the belly up, or close up of facial expressions or details of the atmosphere in the room. I can assure you that a very important part of my job as your birth photographer will be to make sure that I am honoring everything that you ask of me.
These photographs will only be seen by your eyes [as well as those who you choose to share them with]. Once you view your final collection of photographs, I will ask you if there are any photographs that you & your family are comfortable with me sharing to future clients. I will NEVER, under any circumstance, share a photograph that hasn’t officially been approved by you.
Oh no! You’ve missed the actual childbirth? What now? If I am given ample time in order to arrive to your delivery [essentially if I am contacted at the very beginning of your labor, I will not miss your child’s birth!] But let us be realistic, pronto births DO happen. If this ends up being you, you are welcome to choose what it is that you’d like for me to do at that point.
I am happy to remain with you & your family while photographing the postpartum time after your baby is born, [in which case, your full payment will still be due] OR you can have someone contact me letting me know that you would prefer me not to come at all [there will be no balance due for this option]. Deposits are not refundable for any booked photography session. ***I cannot stress enough how important it is to have someone contact me at the VERY beginning of your labor. This will inevitably prevent a "missed birth" from happening! DO NOT wait until your labor pains become TOO intense or worse yet, quickly shift into the “pushing” phase. If I am not present at this time, I will most likely miss your child’s birth.***
How soon after the birth will I receive my images? Typically, I will have your image gallery completed and uploaded to your private viewing gallery within [2] weeks of your child's birth.
Do you offer gift certificates? Yes, I do! Please visit the 'products' page to purchase one for a loved one.
Have a question about something that wasn't answered here? Don't hesitate to drop me a line at alana.adetola@gmail.com.