When being creative is both exciting and terrifying

I can count on one hand the number of times my husband has taken a picture without being asked to, and each of those times I was chained to a bed by an IV. Naturally, when I went in to birth my babies, I was a little nervous about how I would push the baby out and focus the camera at the same time. I gave my husband a crash course in how to use my camera each time, and each time I worried I wouldn’t get the memories I wanted from that day.

I do have some precious memories of each of my children’s births. Number four resulted in a C-section after hours of labor and my favorite image is the one my anesthesiologist shot of the three of us right after her birth while they were still sewing me up, but imagine how much easier it would have been if I had hired a photographer to record those moments for me.

Birth photography scares me. There’s not a lot of light in delivery rooms and it’s a one time deal. There’s no re-shooting a birth day.

But birth photography also excites me. It’s the day a family changes.

My personal, creative challenge this year is to shoot two births, and I don’t know anyone who is pregnant.

That’s where you come in. If you or someone you know is expecting a baby and has thought about having a photographer at the birth, please contact me. The “session,” at no cost to you with a signed model release, would be part of my portfolio if I decide to add this to my services.

Contact me at mail@melissastover.com with your name, your delivery date, and the hospital you will be using if you are interested.

It’s going to be an amazing year. I can feel it.