2014 Home Birth in Crestview, FL

This birth is so special to me. It was one of my very first births I photographed. I had no idea the deep love for Birth that this beautiful home birth would spark or the baby fever it provoked that eventually turned into my third baby. This was the first home birth I had ever been a part of. I'm not going to lie, birth was very much a hospital affair in my mind before this. After witnessing Cindi, the midwife of Gentle Birth Options, LLC in Niceville, FL taking care of my best friend as she labored and pushed and after the baby was born it changed my entire thought process on BIRTH. Birth isn't just about the baby, It's about the mother. It's about the process, which should be filled with love and respect! I can't express the gratitude I feel for having witnessed such beauty.

There are so many things I would go back and do differently when photographing this birth, but I worked with what I had. A manual focus 50mm lens on a crop sensor body. (you read that right, A MANUAL FOCUS LENS AT A BIRTH!) The images aren't as crisp as my work now and some are down right blurry, but the images still tell the story. The birth of my Best Friend's daughter. It's amazing to go back to these images and see how I've grown but also to also see where it all started.