Experience:

Do you want to remember the excitement you felt as you realized “today is the day”? Do you want to remember the tender exchanges between you and your partner during labor? Do you want to look at that precious moment when you meet your baby for the first time over and over again? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then you should hire a birth photographer. I cannot tell you how badly I wish that in all the excitement and flurry of activity during my labor that somebody had remembered to snap a picture of me and my brand new baby. Having a birth photographer takes that burden away, so you can focus on your birth and not worry about how your partner or doula is going to manage supporting and caring for you AND capturing that first cry, weight, measurements, footprints, snuggle, kiss and so on. These are moments that cannot be recreated, and moments that should be celebrated and remembered.

I remember worrying about how my husband would feel bringing another person into the room with us when I hired a doula. What it came down to for him, was knowing that he could focus on comforting me and enjoying the birth of our child, without worrying about getting me this, that and the other thing, and without taking his mind off the incredible moment we were experiencing together. I think the same applies to birth photography; having a photographer relieves your husband of some extra duties like taking photos and allows him to focus on YOU. More importantly, it shows him that he is a significant part of the story, too. Birth photography isn’t just for moms, it’s for the whole family. You, your partner, and your babies will continuously treasure these memories as the family grows. And believe me when I say–my son asks us aaaaaaall the time to look at his birth photos. It is seriously the sweetest thing.

Birth comes in so many beautiful forms and each one should be documented and most importantly deserves to be remembered. I support all birthing families in Northern Virginia – from home to hospital birth and cesarean section. I think your story should always be told.

Hospitals in Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland are starting to open back up, some are even allowing an additional support person (besides your partner and doula). I am also a certified doula which can be added to your birth photograph/videography package.

As a general rule – as early as possible! I only take on a limited number of births per month, because it is important to me to establish a relationship with each of my families and be 100% present during their birthing window. So I encourage you to contact me pretty much as soon as you know you’re pregnant

Oh that’s such a loaded question in Northern VA traffic 😀 My general rule of thumb is about 1.5h radius from 20176 which is between 30 – 50 miles from Leesburg. I do take births further out on a case by case basis so definitely reach out if you have any questions.

Absolutely. Birth is an incredibly intimate experience. I do not want us to meet for the first time on the day you go into labor and I’m sure you don’t either! Getting to know each other helps me when planning how to best document your journey, as well as calm any fears you might have about the process. These meetings can last anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours depending on what we talk about and the level of detail you would like to go into about the process/what to expect. I’m also happy to communicate via email, text message, over the phone or video chat – however you want! Everyone is unique. I’m totally flexible

I usually arrive sometime during ‘active’ labor. I find it’s generally best to go by how frequent your contractions are, how intense they feel and if they are building. My theory is that if it’s intense enough for the midwife, it’s intense enough for me. We all know how unpredictable birth is, so I use this as a sort of cheat sheet, as opposed to dilation. Having said that, I believe communication during the process is key; I prefer to have two phone calls, one when you think you’re in labour and another right after you’ve called your midwife to attend. The more I know, the more prepared I can be and of course, I’d rather be six hours early than six minutes late!
We will also gov over this in detail during our prenatal meeting.

Absolutely. I require a $500 non-refundable deposit to reserve your due date on my calendar. This fee is due upon signing your contract and it’s the only payment due until your third trimester. After that, the remainder is due by 37 weeks gestation. You can make payments weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or bi-monthly. You know what works for your finances and your family. I’m keen to support any financial plan that works best for you, so don’t be afraid to chat to me about it. My other option is an interest-free repayment plan over 12 months through PayRight. I wholeheartedly believe professional birth photography should be attainable for every family; this is why my payment plans are available and as flexible as possible.

I use the very best photography equipment on the market for low light. I’ve also invested a lot of time into learning the (dark) art of how to beautifully edit low-light images. I work very well with the available light in the room, but I also make good use of my flash if necessary. I make it a goal to be as unobtrusive and gentle as possible, so will always bounce the flash off the ceiling or behind me. You will want to hire a Northern Virginia birth photographer who knows how to handle themselves around this delicate moment. So don’t worry, make your birth space everything you want it to be. I’ll adapt.

Birth is unpredictable! Missing a birth can happen, but they’re rare if good
communication was established. In the event of illness or emergency, I work with a number of talented backup birth photographers and doulatogs who I wholeheartedly trust and won’t hesitate to send in my place. If I miss your birth because labor moves super fast, I still come to your place of birth and document as much of your post-birth journey as possible. I also offer a documentary newborn session to create a full gallery of images.

I only publicly share photos for which I have explicit approval. This means my families have given me enthusiastic consent. I absolutely respect and honor the boundaries of the birthing person and their family. Your comfort is consistently my top priority. The images I choose to share speak about connection. Primal, honest and enthralling. I share them in the hope that they’ll empower other women preparing to birth their own babies. Birth is natural, inspiring and beautiful. It should not be feared.

I will deliver a handful of hand-edited images within 24 to 48 hours of the birth as an ‘oxytocin booster’ so you can relive it right away. Your full gallery takes a little longer, especially when you factor in my own children! I try my best to deliver by four weeks after your birth, but because I hand-edit each and every image with care and precision, gallery turnaround can be up to six weeks.

A doula is someone who provides assistance in birth education, empowerment in self advocacy for their desired birth outcome, physical support in labor, emotional support in post partum, and a non-judgmental space to discuss any concerns and worries.

An herbal bath session is only available to birth clients. Often homebirth clients receive an herbal bath mix with their birth kit. If that is the case and you are feeling up to it, I will photograph an herbal bath with you and baby soon after you give birth. If you wish to add an herbal bath session to your birth photography package (hospital/birth center clients), I will come back 2-4 days postpartum and photograph it then (please note that a separate session incurs a separate fee.) If you do not have access to herbal mixes, I can order from my favorite shop online. I just need to know when you book that you will want to include the session.

At this time I offer maternity, newborn, birth and raw postpartum photography and/or videography sessions. Please contact me for detailed pricing for each. I am also a certified postpartum doula and offer Ayurvedic postpartum doula packages where I provide emotional, physical and culinary support to my families. We will go over postpartum hormones, I will provide a nourishing meal, snack and drink, provide some guidance on baby and postpartum massage and lots more. Postpartum visits can also be added as part of one of my Birth packages. Let’s chat if you want to learn more!