Birth photography isn’t just a photo session, it’s a lifestyle

How does it work?

Birth photography is very different than hiring a photographer for a family session or even a wedding. Births are unpredictable and can happen at any time! My commitment to my birth clients is to be on call for them, from 38 weeks, until their baby is born. This means, I’m available 24/7 to come to your birth, at any time. My life revolves around being on call for your birth story.

I believe that your birth space and the people in it are up to YOU!

I've attended 200+ births and I'm grateful each time I'm invited into a birth space. Birth is not something that you can plan, right? So because of that, I only take 3 birth clients per month. I want to be there for your birth, and taking a small number of exclusive clients allows me to give you my full time and support. Not only on your images, but as you prepare for your birth and in your postpartum. I'm available for call/text support anytime!

Doula Support

I'm a trained DOULA, and I'm here to support you in any way I can during your birth. Every year since 2015, I’ve taken courses and learned from other doulas, child birth educators, Spinning Babies and more to advance my knowledge and skills. Most HSA insurance plans will cover a doula if you have HSA money or an HSA card. I’m happy to send an invoice to you separately for doula services, this often covers nearly half of my services.

Payment Plans Included

I’m happy to create a payment plan for any birth package that suits the needs of your family. Most families pay my deposit and then a monthly payment until their due date. I’m currently taking 12 month payment plans for clients.

Looking forward to connecting with you please reach out today to learn more.

Birth Photography

Birth photography becoming a more mainstream life event to capture! In part because our generation loves to document all aspects of their life, especially those that are so meaningful as the birth of your child. You never forget the day you birth your child. It stays with you forever, and so will these photos. Here are some birth photography FAQ that might help you in your decision.

What is birth photography? – Birth photography is documenting the day your child enters the world. No matter how this baby comes to you, it’ll be a day that you’ll want to have captured. Having photographs of the moment you meet the tiniest love of your life is a moment like no other. You won’t regret having these photos for years to come and your child will be grateful for them as well.

How does it work? – I meet or talk on the phone with all clients to discuss their birth plan and vision for photos. We discuss the proper time to call me, and how to keep me updated in the days and weeks before labor starts. Once labor starts, you update me and we keep in contact until you tell me it’s time to come to you. I stay 1-2 hours after birth. This allows enough time for motherhood, nursing and sibling/family meeting the new baby photos.

How many images can I expect, and what is the best thing to ‘do’ with them? – There are no certain number of images that I give, but you can expect around 150-200. The images are going to capture your story, the details and your first moments with your child. Some of my birth packages offer albums and all of my packages come with a photo slideshow set to music.

I want it to be very dark during birth, how will you take pictures in the dark? – I’ve had several mamas who want the room dark while delivering, professional photographers have gear that works in low light situations. We can also talk about using a flash, or not, during a dark labor and birth.

Will my birth photos be in color, or black and white, or both? – The definite answer here is; it depends. I personally love color for births, but some births just look better in black and white. Also, some images look better in black and white. My style is to give images that work for that birth and the lighting, mood and circumstance.

FAQ

What if you miss a birth, get sick or have an emergency? – Any reputable birth photographer works with a backup. If I was sick or had an emergency, I’d call my backup to attend the birth.

Who is your ‘Backup’ Photographer? I work with two amazing birth photographers who are also both doulas. It’s important to me that my backup photographers are not only amazing people, and well trained, but someone that I would want to have at my OWN birth.

What if the baby comes fast?

Good communication is key! Contacting me at the first signs of labor helps me to determine when I should come to your birth space.

What happens if you miss a birth?

If the baby happens to come very fast, I would still come to your place of birth and take photos. The fast birth is part of your story and I am there to document your story as it unfolds, even if it is fast! We also set up a Fresh48 or Motherhood session to replace what might have been missed in the event of a precipitous birth.

Do you offer video? – Yes! Contact me about upgrading your birth package to include a beautiful video about your child’s birth day.

Why should I book with you over using a friend or other person who has a good DSLR? – Working in low light situations is not easy and even with a good DSLR camera, the capabilities in low light are not the same as a full frame professional quality camera. It also takes a lot of time and practice to take pictures in near dark situations or the awful yellow hospital lighting. I’ve take a lot of time to learn how to make a photo beautiful in a terrible lighting condition. Additionally, I have years of practice as a photographer, shooting portraits and weddings long before I became a birth photographer – if you want professional photos, you have to hire a professional!

There are incredible midwives in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. I work with many of these midwives regularly and offer a discount to their clients who hire us both.

Celeste Groenenberg, Gentle Mama Holistic Midwifery, Chelsea, Michigan