Guest Post – Carrie Duncan, Four Bees Photography

Everyone knows that hiring a photographer is a staple for your wedding day, but what about for your baby’s birth day? While more popular in the US, birth photography is quickly rising in popularity in Canada…and for good reason! When we connected with Carrie Duncan of Four Bees Photography, we were captivated by the beautiful images she captures and can see that birth photography will quickly become a rising trend. Check out one of Carrie’s images among the hundreds submitted to a birth photography Image of the Year competition! Here is Carrie’s story of how she came to be a birth photographer:

When I mention to people that I’m a birth photographer, I usually get one of two reactions. They are intrigued and want to find out more (these are the people who have seen examples of birth photography – you can see some here: http://fourbeesphotography.com/documenting-new-life-gta-birth-photography ), or they squirm uncomfortably and say “oh, that’s… interesting.”

Truth be told, I get it.

I was a first-time mom once upon a time too. I was scared going into the delivery room. Scared of the unknown. Scared of what was going to happen to my body. Scared of how I might react.

There was so much I didn’t know. Would I be the type to vocalize every discomfort? Would I be writhing in pain? What kind of faces would I be making?

Surely this would not be my most glamourous moment.

In fact, I pretty much nixed the idea of my husband taking pictures, and reluctantly let him take a few after the birth. But I’ll let you in on another secret, one more thing I couldn’t wrap my head around. The other thing that I just didn’t know.

I didn’t know how fast it would all happen. Yes, even after 40 hours of labour, my son’s delivery was over in 15 minutes!

Yes, it was fast, and a blur. My adrenaline and endorphins were working overtime. I don’t remember the little details. I remember the overwhelming joy of holding my son, but now at 2.5 years old, I don’t remember the expression on his sweet little face when he looked at me for the first time.

Biology is a powerful force that wipes the slate clean when it comes to birth. It forces us to forget the bad stuff like the pain and discomfort, but with that we forget the good too.

We forget the little hand wrapped our finger, that intense, curious gaze that only newborns have, that perfect little pout. It’s there at first, but it fades– fast. My vanity got in the way of preserving one of the most important moments of my life— the moment I became a mother.

The thing is, when my kids were born, birth photography was not common; it is still just emerging in Canada. But if my then-pregnant self knew what my clients have told me – that they don’t notice me in the room, that they would never birth again without a photographer, that they could soak up every inch of their new babe without worrying about the photos, that seeing the expression on their husband’s face makes them tear up every time, that the photos are priceless to them– oh, how my life would be richer.

Because I would have made it a priority to preserve those memories.

Talk to a birth photographer, because I’m sure there’s one out there for you. Make sure you like them. Make sure you love their photos. Make sure your are comfortable with them, because you’re gonna get pretty cozy.

And don’t wait until it’s too late.  Let their first breath take yours away, again and again.

* Carrie Duncan is the owner/principal photographer of Four Bees Photography, a boutique lifestyle studio that offers on-location photography with a focus on Bellies, Babies, Birth and Breastfeeding. A semi-crunchy birth junkie with a penchant for caffeine in all its delicious forms, Carrie uses her addiction to stay fuelled for chasing after her own two energetic kids.

Carrie also offers deals on her photography services to clients of bebo mia!