As usually happens, the call comes in the middle of the night and this special birth was as calm as it was profound to witness. The feeling that hit me when I walked through their front door was inexplicable. The labouring mother was so focused and deep within her own space that no words were uttered, nor any interference from her support team needed.
Lighting is often a challenge during birth but this home birth was the greatest challenge I’ve faced so far. By candle light and some ambient street lighting through the window, I captured this birth by steadying my camera against tables and walls while exposing with very slow shutter speeds. This helped me to portray the stillness of the resting mother and motion of those supporting around her. As baby arrived, flash was used to capture the emotion and action that follows.
This was a blissful birth that happened as the older children slept soundly in their beds…