
2 hours of pain, tears, love & awesomeness
Monday 7 March 2016


On Friday night I did a "photoshoot" that will change the way I photograph forever.
I recently put a call out for a willing Mum to be to have the birth of their child photographed by me. It was a genre I had always wanted to try and had no expectations or thoughts on what it would be like, I just went with it (as I do).
It was a strange feeling being "on call" that at anytime I could get the magic call to come in as it was on. So Friday night at 6pm I had a text to just come in when I could so I organised the family and off I went to the hospital.
Mum Brooke had been so casual on the phone about come when you can that I had no idea what i was walking into. There she was bent over the bed, clutching her husbands hands tightly and totally in the zone. The contraction passed and she so kindly sat up and said hi to me like she was just going through the motions. The contractions got closer together and there were points where I was squeezing my fists in sympathy watching this amazing woman giving all she had in her to bring their baby into the world. Her mum was their passing water and doing what she could as she helplessly waited.
I can't tell you the emotions I went through, the emotions I witnessed, no words express it. This was a moment in time where I watched absolute connection between partners and connection of a woman with the baby inside her. It was raw and real and there was nothing to hide. There were times where I wondered if I was intrusive but realised in all that was happening I didn't even exist in the room other than someone at the sideline lucky enough to capture this moment.
The midwives are just so amazing aren't they? They do this all day and are so strong and encouraging. And mums are just the ants pants really aren't they? I mean I have had 3 kids but to witness as an onlooker you just go wow we are amazing beings, I mean we make humans and it doesn't get any better than that!
Then it all started getting real, it was time. Brooke moved onto the bed into a different position and then the goosebumps started I just went holy moley this is happening and I am documenting the whole thing with my camera. So this is the part where I clenched my legs together, started clicking my camera whilst wiping tears from my eyes. The head appeared and Brooke gave it all she had with much encouragement from the midwife, her mum and partner. With everything she had left in her, and honestly she dug deep to find that extra energy, out came a baby boy and he was handed up to Mum and Dad around 7.57pm. Of course Brooke was totally exhausted from such an intense labour (apparently the contractions had been happening since 5am that morning! eek) and well the photos hopefully tell the story, the faces of joy I saw were what true love looks like.
I realised that night that capturing those real moments, those real emotions is why I love photography so much and why i will look through my lens at life in such a different way now. Thankyou Brooke and Paul for letting me part of your journey and experiencing this. Enjoy baby Archie.
Belle xo








Welcome to
the world
Archie William

