International Association of Professional Birth Photographers: Recent Episodes
IAPBP
The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP) was established to assist expectant birth persons who are in search of a professional birth photographer or videographer in their area. IAPBP has over 1,100 members in 52 countries and we are growing daily.
We are a genuine community of talented artists eager to connect with expectant birth persons. Behind the scenes, our community of artists also support one another by sharing resources to grow themselves and their businesses.
IAPBP was founded in 2010 and is the proud host of the Annual Worldwide Birth Photography Image Competition.
Each fortnight new episodes are published to feature one of our incredible members.
Today we are featuring our member Cyd Lapour, a full time photographer focused on photojournalism and documenting real life moments, based in Louisiana As an area coordinator for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, she serves an average of 3-4 families a month who have to say goodbye to their littlest angels, in addition to her regular birth clients. Despite the heavy nature of this work, she is passionate about ensuring that every family has memories in the physical form to relive the most important moment so of their lives, and spreading the message that real life is always more beautiful than anything here on Earth.
In our conversation, Cyd shares how her experience photographing her autistic son doing whatever made him happiest led her to pursue the power of documentary and real life photography. Cyd’s view is that real life is more interesting, funnier and more joyful than the studio smile and cheese moments. She reminds us to pay attention to the beautiful moments in our everyday lives, as ultimately these will make up what we will come to treasure.
Cyd shares how she got into birth photography, and how she knew it was for her after just one session photographing a co-worker’s birth. Cyd sees that the work that she does as being a family historian, documenting the stories that families write together.
Cyd has a unique perspective, and explains how she shoots from the perspective of having the baby look at the images in the future, and how that perspective alters the way she documents births.
We also chat about the the difference between real life and documentary photography, and nature of documenting real life. Cyd talks about her work with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a photography service for families that won’t have the chance of getting a lifetime of photographs with their infant. Sje reflects on how this photography has been her most important work, the lessons it has taught her, and the reasons she does it.
Cyd’s work and her approach to life is incredibly inspiring. She leaves us with such a beautiful message about being ok laughing at your mistakes, and the importance of living our lives authentically.
LINKS
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
Heartfelt
Hands Producing Hope
Where you can find Cyd Lapour:
Website: https://bayourosephoto.com/birth-photography-baton-rouge
Instagram: @cydley
IAPBP: https://birthphotographers.com/photographers/bayou-rose-photography/
Where you can find us:
Our website: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers
If you'd like to become a member you can sign up here!
This episode we are joined by Eva Walther, a German award winning and self-taught family and birth photographer who lives in Denmark.
After a life-long corporate career in advertising and software, Eva changed to work as a full-time photographer, online educator and mentor for upcoming lifestyle photographers in 2019. Eva’s own birth experiences in 2013 and 2015 have been a huge part of her journey as a photographer. Today, she is passionate about documenting all aspects of birth and demystifying birth in Denmark.
The most important topic for Eva is educating future mothers to learn about their options, and more importantly their right for a self-determined birth and after-birth experience. For Eva, a good birth experience is a fundamental element of the transformation into a mother.
We explore how Eva made the transition from 9-5 into photography after her own children were born, and the ways that the Danish hospital system, along with help from her Danish husband, transformed her view on birth.
We chat about Eva’s initial aversion to natural birth, the importance of mental preparation and how birth photography is a powerful educator.
Culturally, birth photography is not common or understood in Denmark. Eva talks about the steps she’s taking to help birth parents understand the transformative power of birth photography, including founding the Danish Association for Birth Photographers.
This was a beautiful, cross-cultural conversation and Eva’s approach to, and passion for, birth photography is uplifting.
LINKS
Where you can find Eva Walther:
Website: https://www.evawalther.dk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evawaltheredit/?hl=en
IAPBP: https://birthphotographers.com/photographers/eva-walther-film-photography-art/
Where you can find us:
Our website: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers
If you'd like to become a member you can sign up here!
I am super excited to be sitting down with Jamie Scearcy today. She is a mother of three, military spouse, a VBAC mum, a childbirth educator, photographer and doula.
After having her own healing birth experience with the support of a doula, Jamie knew that birth work was where she wanted to be. Jamie has learned women are empowered in birth when they are supported, informed and leaders in their own care. She believes that every woman deserves a safe and satisfying birth experience, and that experience might look different for each one of us. Jamie wants every family to leave their birth feeling strong, heard and empowered.
During this conversation, Jamie shares what she found helpful preparing for her first VBAC birth, and how powerful the gift of a normal, uninterrupted, physiological birth is. It can be life-changing to not be fearful of birth and how an empowered birth can change our journey as parents.
Jamie is also a birth educator - we talk about how being an educator, photographer and doula is such a powerful trio, both for the parents she services and also for her business.
In this conversation we also touch on how the system, provider, hospital, protocols, culture and environment changes birth statistics. Jamie’s partner doula always says ‘Your care provider is your birth plan’, and we chat about the power of choosing your provider.
This was such an empowering conversation. Whether you’re a first time Mum, birth photographer or just curious about what birth photographers do, you’ll leave this conversation feeling hopeful about the power of birth.
LINKS
Where you can find Jamie Searcy:
Website: https://nurturingbirthdoula.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurturingbirthdoulaphotography/ IAPBP: https://birthphotographers.com/photographers/nurturing-birth-doula-and-photography/
Where you can find us:
Our website: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers
If you'd like to become a member you can sign up here!
Hello and welcome to our very first episode! We hope these conversations will help our wider community come to know our incredible network of photographers, as well as giving our members a chance to ‘meet’ their colleagues.
For our inaugural episode we are so excited to be in conversation with Jessica Rinehart. Jessica is a wife, mum of two and an air force veteran. She picked up her first DSLR camera in 2013 and has been hooked on photography ever since. Jessica is incredibly passionate about everything to do with motherhood, and loves to share her experiences with others.
Jessica first came to birth photography after the birth of her first child. The experience was not what she expected and she came out of it knowing that she wanted to be in the birth world. Specifically, to educate and empower other mums about what their options are.
Amazingly, Jessica’s first birth photography session was of her midwife, who was five months ahead of her. She shares how excited she was to share that experience, and how it cemented her passion for birth photography.
We talk about the most unique birth Jessica has attended, the driving force that keeps Jessica returning to birth photography and how she supports mothers through the birthing process. Jessica also shares with us how important the power of attention is for a birth photographer.
We also chat about the life-changing force that children are in our lives, and how we navigate and embrace their big emotions.
This was such a lovely, relaxed chat with a birth photographer who brings her whole heart to her job. We hope you enjoy it!
LINKS
Where you can find Jessica:
Website: https://theheartofnowphotography.mypixieset.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheartofnowphotography/ IAPBP: https://birthphotographers.com/photographers/jessica-rinehart/
Where you can find us:
Our website: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers
If you'd like to become a member you can sign here!
Our host, Lacey takes us through what you can expect from this podcast, when we will publish episodes, and the kinds of things we will be talking about with our featured photographers.
If you'd like to become a member, you can join here. We would love to have you as part of our community!