Summer Means U-Pick Raspberries - Fairbanks Lifestyle Photographer

It’s only November – and the very beginning of November, at that – but I already find myself ready for a bit of a vacation. Some sun, some green, maybe even some flowers. This is, of course, a long way off, but I do have access to virtual, visual vacations by way of revising some summer photographs not yet blogged. Even though I just took a break from writing this to go load the woodstove, it was surprisingly refreshing to spend an hour in early August. It turns out the backlog of personal photos from this summer and fall sitting on my harddrive is not the result of disorganization or too little free time, as I had thought, but rather – a stroke of genius! I may have just enough to keep me in visual vacations all winter long.

Today’s vacation is brought to you by the U-Pick Raspberry farm and the month of August. My friend Jeanine and I met out there with a collective four kids and picked for a solid two hours, resulting in a full gallon of berries each – which, given the kid-wrangling (and kid-snacking) that took place, I thought was pretty impressive! They (the berries) currently reside in my pantry in the form of Raspberry-Cilantro-Jalapeno Jam and Raspberry-Plum-Almond Jam – tastes of summer to last me all winter long.

Atticus' Fresh 48 - Fairbanks Newborn Photographer

We did this quick lifestyle session when Atticus was a ripe old 18 hours old and just settling into his babymoon. If you missed it, you can also go through his birth story here – he made quite the entrance!

The Birth of Atticus - Fairbanks Birth Photographer

Right from the start, Atticus seemed determined to let everyone know that while he may be small, he has OPINIONS. For example, he decided at the last moment that he didn’t feel like being born at the birth center, as his parents had carefully planned. He didn’t want any midwives at home, either, and he didn’t really care for the idea of having a photographer present. And so, ten minutes before midnight, on his due date, Atticus was born, at home, into the sure, calm hands of his father.

Tricia had been in early labor for a good part of the day, but she wasn’t really convinced it was leading to anything; around 9 pm she texted me to say that she thought things might be slowing down a bit, and she was hoping to sleep through the night and try to get things going the next day.

Atticus had other plans.

When things picked up, they picked up FAST. Just before ten-thirty pm, Tricia texted me and told me to put on a pot of coffee after all, because her water had just broken! She would let me know when they were headed to the birth center, and I would meet them there. I proceeded to “watch” tv with my husband while I had a cup of coffee and fiddled with my phone until just before midnight – at which point I got a text from Tricia’s mom saying they had decided there wasn’t time to head to the birth center, and they were having the baby at home. I flew down the stairs, got directions from Tricia’s mom, and was out the door. Tricia’s mom wasn’t actually with them – but she’d been talking to Adam, Tricia’s husband. (And little did we know, but Atticus had actually made his appearance mere moments before I even got Tricia’s mom’s first text.) I met her at the bank of mailboxes along the side of road and followed her the rest of the way to their home. We were both slightly giddy and mildly frantic – we burst into the house just as Adam was coming down the stairs to get something, and we asked him, “Did we get here in time?!?”

And then we heard Atticus’ sweet voice from upstairs.

It turns out he’d been born about forty minutes before we got there – which was also twenty minutes before their midwife, Dana, arrived, though she had been consulting with them on the phone as she drove once it became apparent this baby thing was HAPPENING. And so his was a complete surprise, unassisted (daddy-caught, that is) home birth. I’m told his big brother slept peacefully through the birth and groggily emerged when baby noises penetrated his dreams. He got some quick cuddles in and then went to spend the rest of the night with his grandma and grandpa before I got there.

Tricia and Adam were basking the glow of their new baby, trace amounts amazed and almost bewildered by the tiny person with opinions so big. To his great credit, Adam was decidedly unfazed by the whole experience; Tricia said that since he was never scared or shocked or panicked about what was happening, she too was able to stay calm and grounded. To be present in that room after such a momentous event was a beautiful thing, and these photographs take me right back that moment.

Congratulations, Tricia, Adam, and Aiden, and welcome, Atticus! The world is so glad you are here.

To more of Atticus at a ripe old 18 hours old, please see Atticus’ Fresh 48 Session.

The Birth of Jozannah Maria - Fairbanks Birth Photographer

I feel very fortunate to have met Tamara and Devon as they made their last preparations before becoming parents for the first time. They contacted me about birth photography because they are extremely new to the Fairbanks area; they only moved to Eielson about six weeks before I met them. Devon is originally from the South, but his wife has him beat: she’s from Australia! Since they are both so far away from home and from all their family, they wanted someone there to capture the moment for them so they would be able to share it with everyone, ’round the other side of the world. Tamara actually also made one of my very favorite points about birth photography: since I would be there, Devon was free to focus on and participate fully in the birth of his child, without having to worry about taking pictures (or forgetting to take pictures!).

I was immediately extremely excited to shoot the birth. Well – I’m super excited to shoot every birth. But this one held some firsts for me: it was to be the first birth I’ve ever attended at the military hospital. Also, Tamara and Devon both simply glowed about their baby – Tamara told me, “We’re just so honored to be parents.” (A few eyes may have teared up at this point.)

We did not know it at the time, but this ultimately would also be the first c-section I have photographed. Tamara meticulously researched natural childbirth during her pregnancy, and she had a beautiful waterbirth planned, and I truly feel honored to have been there to see how her care providers attended to and fulfilled her wishes in every way they possibly could. Everyone in that room gave it all they possibly could – no one more than Tamara. Every time I look through these pictures, I am again amazed (and, admittedly, a little choked up) at her strength and dedication, her refusal to give up, and her joy that she was at the precipice of meeting her baby.

Ultimately, however, baby made it clear that this bath thing was not happening, and after hours of pushing and a second trial of pitocin, the decision was finally made that a c-section was necessary. Later, both parents recounted to me the audible “POP!” they heard when the baby – whose sex was a surprise (it’s a girl!)- was finally dislodged from mom’s pelvis, where she was firmly stuck, her little head cocked ever-so-slightly (and ever-so-sassily) to the side. Devon was able to wheel tiny baby Jozannah right back to their room while Tamara was still in the OR, joining us shortly thereafter.

When Tamara held her baby for the first time, she said, “Oh, baby, you are the love of my life.”

The love in the room was palpable. I’ll let you see for yourself.

Welcome earthside, Jozannah Maria!

Jordan & Dekar - Fairbanks Lifestyle Family Photographer

Jordan and Dekar are definitely one of my favorite sets of twins. (Which is an easier thing than most to say, since I don’t actually know that many sets of twins!) They’re turning five soon, and their parents wanted to do a really fun photo shoot while it was still summer.

And did they ever have fun! I think it’s safe to say that all four of us (me, Jordan, Dekar, and their mom Melanie) all had a great time on this late-summer evening on at the playground. To me, this session really captured so much of what I love about lifestyle photography: instead of a series of canned smiles (granted, of which there are a few, lol), the kids’ personalities shine through. I love seeing their character and spunk, their adventuresome nature and care-taking instincts.

They caught the spirit of the photoshoot right away, and 99% of the “poses” are of their own creative making (including the one in which they’re “mooning” me, lol. Little imps!).

Happy (almost) birthday, Jordan and Dekar!

The Birth of Eden Glory - Fairbanks Birth Photographer

Rachel and I met two days before her due date.

We got to know each other a little as we watched our boys – hers are 4 and 2, mine is 3 – frolic on the playground. Rachel grew up here in Fairbanks, but has since been all over the world, and her family currently resides in Bend, OR. But, she said, her husband has always wanted to spend a summer in Alaska, and so when an opportunity presented itself this year, they packed up their clan and headed north. In a car. With two children (who where then) both under four. When she was about three months pregnant.

It became clear at this moment that Rachel is kind of my hero.

They were so excited to have their third child here in Fairbanks at the Alaska Family Health and Birth Center. It turns out that Dana Brown, midwife extraordinaire, is a close family friend, and that she was going to deliver Rachel’s child seemed especially poignant.

Two days after I first met Rachel, I got an email around 4 pm saying she’d had light but steady contractions for several hours, but her dad (a family physician) didn’t think it would go anywhere. Then around midnight, I got a text saying they were heading into the Birth Center, and I replied that I would be right behind them.

My husband happened to be out of town for work (of course), so I had to wait for my saintly babysitter to arrive before flying out the door. To say that I was excited might be underselling it. I was in the car on the way to the Birth Center, wondering what was clogging the spout on my coffee cup lid, when I realized I’d left the spoon I’d used to stir in sugar in the cup. Oops.

When I arrived at the Birth Center, I joined Rachel, her husband Ben, Rachel’s mother, and midwives Dana and Cori in the Pink Room. It was a beautiful labor: intense, but amazingly quiet, centered, and focused. Rachel struck me as almost shockingly in control at times: in the middle of what was obviously an immense series of contractions, she would only breathe, “owie owie owie!”

All in all, it was such a beautiful experience to have witnessed. Rachel and Ben had such an intimate connection throughout the labor, and then they were able to deliver their baby in the water, unassisted (by which I mean that the midwives where nearby, closely monitoring, but were able to let Rachel and Ben catch by themselves).

Welcome earthside, Eden Glory. The world is glad you are here!

Birth Photography: what it is, and why I do it

In some ways, it's difficult to write about birth photography.  People often come into the conversation with skepticism, with assumptions or preconceived ideas as to what birth photography is or what it will look like. It's for exactly that reason that I find "showing" tends to work better than "telling."

That is, in fact, the exact reason why an informal group of professional birth photographers I'm a part of put together this slideshow: to show everyone what birth photography is.

When my son was born, it was like the rest of the world stopped - a sudden, radical, and complete shift in perspective - my entire life was reordered according to a new sense of importance.  Birth is one of the rare events that causes almost everything else to become peripheral and fall away, allowing a crystal clear moment in which to perceive and appreciate the truly important stuff of life.  (And yet, while time seems to stand still, there's still the unshakable sense that moments are speeding by at breakneck speed.)

And they are.  And that's one of the reasons why hiring a professional birth photographer may be the right choice for your family: if I'm there taking photographs, everyone else can forget about the cameras and can instead go about truly engaging in these fleeting, irretrievable moments.  And these moments will all be captured with the artistic, create skill of a professional, resulting in beautiful, heirloom-quality photographs.

(Another slideshow, this one focusing specifically on the role of dads and partners in the birth story, titled "Hold Her Hand, Not the Camera." One of my images is featured.)

While birth photography is the story of your child's arrival, birth photography is not only about showing the story of your child's arrival - the labor, the birth, the squalling baby- it's about those moments as a family meets each other for the first time, as you take each other in and celebrate being together for the first time.  The first joyful embrace; the gaze between parent and newborn; the siblings' first peek - these are fleeting yet unspeakably valuable moments.

And those are the moments I strive to photograph.

Because, of all the moments in life you're going to want to remember, this is one of them.

And this.

And - truly - even this.

These moments cannot be re-lived, and having photographs can make the experience of remembering that much more poignant.  Families often express surprise at what treasured heirlooms their birth photographs have become.  I've even had one mom tell me her birth photographs are more precious to her than her wedding photographs.

To see more of my birth photography work, please click here.*

*All photographs on my website and blog are shared with the express permission of the clients.

For information about birth photography rates, please see investment.   For questions or more information about booking a birth photography session, please contact me.

Recommended Reading:

For more information and other perspectives on birth photography, I recommend these articles:

Birth Photography - and the truth behind what is REALLYis, at Lexia Frank Photography.

The Value in Hiring a Professional, at Carolyn Spranger Photography

Birth Photography at the New York Times

The Benefits of Professional Birth Photography - Preggie Pals Interview with Catie Stephens of Vuefinder Photography

And, just for fun: Barbie's Birth by Beach Birth Photography

Also check out my Birth Photography FAQs!

Alaskan Earth Mama: A Spring Harvest - Fairbanks Commercial Photographer

Sometimes, one session can be the “stone” for several birds at once. You see, Monica is THE mama behind Alaskan Earth Mama, which is Fairbanks’ source for locally-made holistic goodness, body care, and custom essential oil aromatherapy sessions. Monica wears many hats: in addition to being an independent mama, Monica is also one of the smiling faces that will greet you daily at the Alaska Family Health and Birth Center. Alaskan Earth Mamas’ products are prepared in her kitchen in her “spare” time (a story every mom knows too well, I think!).

Alaskan Earth Mama makes a range of herbal products in addition to its other services (which include essential oil education, customized aromatherapy bodywork, and a growling line of other offerings).  AEM's products include balms and salves that aid in postpartum mamas' recovery; soothing sprays; and mama’s milk tea, to name a few. Around Fairbanks, AEM’s Soothe & Heal balm has a cult following, and every spring AEM’s all-natural mosquito repellent is pretty much the interior’s Most Wanted.

We’d wanted to do some photos to document her business in action for a while, but of course our lives were both hectic enough that we talked about it for a lot longer than we should have. When we were finally in a spot to do something about it, luck would have it that it was just time for Monica to be out harvesting cottonwood buds – a crucial ingredient with healing properties that is used in many of her products. And of course, if she’s out harvesting, the odds are that Matthew, her son, is harvesting with her – and so I floated my idea for Mother + Child sessions by her.

I originally began offering Mother + Child "little sessions" only during the month of May in honor of mother's day, but I've come to love them so much that they're now a permanent, around-the-year offering.  These aren’t your everyday mini-sessions – instead, these are 40-minute sessions custom-designed and shot on location to document the special relationship every mother has with each of her children. My vision for these sessions was to find an activity that mother and child love to do together, to basically open the floodgates of everything that’s there already. The good *and* the bad – the eye-rolls, tantrums, or disagreements, but also the smiles, connection, cuddles. A real life – beautiful and raw.  

I have a real passion for these sessions, not least because it’s so important for mom to get in front of the camera. Too often moms are hiding behind the lens, choosing to be the ones doing the documenting of everyday life – and even the moderately big events, sometimes – and are leaving themselves out of the picture.

Mamas, get in the picture. It is so important.

But back to cottonwood buds!

We gathered in North Pole in the streaming sun of early spring (and the slush of breakup) and it turned out that indeed, documenting an Alaskan Earth Mamas harvest session and coordinating a Mother + Child session was the perfect marriage. Mmmmmmmmmagic.

You can find Alaskan Earth Mamas products at Gulliver’s Books, Fireweed Boutique, Heart Stream Yoga, and many other places around town.

Portraits of Local Athletes: Commissioned Commercial Photography | Fairbanks Commercial Photographer

Last summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work with Tanana Valley Clinic on producing artwork to display in their (then) soon-to-be opened Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine satellite clinic. I recruited my friend and fellow photographer Annie Enderle to help me tackle the project, and tackle it we did. TVC had a vision of local athletes adorning the walls of the office - and apart from that, they gave us creative freedom.  Annie and I decided that we wanted to portray these athletes doing what they loved, in the environment that we all love.  Playing with athletes in some epic Alaskan locales...it was not a terrible way to spend the summer.  :)