Chiiz – Volume 2 2017

K

eeping a human being inside the

womb and giving it a chance to grow

is a fascinating journey in the life of any

woman and any woman would be blessed

to have given birth to another human. And

documenting that journey is the new trend

that has literally taken the world by storm.

A lot of couples these days try to get their

entire journey documented. This involves

clicking pictures during pregnancy and

moving on to capture the birth of the child

and then the newborn shoots as well.

Yes, we agree, maternity shoots are not a

new concept. A lot of women have already

got their baby bumps captured on film by

professionals. But because of the growing

trend in this genre, photographers are

being challenged to look for new ways of

conceptualized shots that can really stand

out.

As a photographer, it is a challenging

task to conclude the shoot without any

uncomfortable situations being faced. So,

the mental and physical comfort of the

mother is the first priority during such

shoots.

Although there are certain clichéd shots

that every mother-to-be wants, but it is

the photographer’s responsibility to make

sure that each client gets a unique take on

her pregnancy shoot. Being creative and

incorporating people or elements in the

pictures that mean something to the couple

and the family is a great way of ensuring

such uniqueness.

Involvement of the siblings in the pictures,

or maybe the family dog can also help.

Instead of having an outdoor shoot,

taking pictures at the couple’s house can

be considered as well. It will be a better

backdrop for the pictures because of the

emotional connection and it will also be

cozier to the expecting parents.

Maternity shoots are a great way to

announce a pregnancy or even the gender

of the child. More and more

photographers are coming up

with unique ideas to capture this

magical journey of the expecting

couple.

Coming on to it, birth is considered

as the most beautiful and rewarding

moment for any woman. Also at

the same time, it is exhausting, gory and,

extremely graphic, yet women around

the world are now embracing the idea of

getting their baby’s birth journey captured

by professional photographers.

Though the world is slowly warming up to

the idea of birth photography, it is still a

sensitive topic for the majority of people. It

is, after all, capturing a woman when she is

at her most vulnerable state. It also involves

her privacy and the medical implications of

having another person in the room when

things tend to go in any direction. And no,

it is not always about photographing the

private parts of the woman, but that is what

people generally conceive of this genre.

In many countries, there are still some

restrictions on any person other than the

father to be present during birth. Although

the couple can request the doctors and

get due permissions for the photographer

to be present during the birth, but it is

not always guaranteed that the doctors

will allow it. From the medical point of

view, a third person can be a disturbance

in the procedure and the doctor’s word

is final. Despite a lot of questions and

controversies, couples are really eager to

get a photographer to capture the process.

Nicole Hoschke, a family and fine art

photographer, says that it is very important

for the parents to feel comfortable with

The Story of Life : Maternity, Birth and Babies

Urshita Saini

[email protected]

Photography is her passion,

wedding shoots is her forte. She is a

lawyer turned photographer turned

businesswoman. The transition was

quick but it was what the camera

ordered.

Tiffany Burke

Washington, USA Rewards Of It

38 Vol 2