E M PHOTOGRAPHY |
Friday morning started out busy and rainy. After lunch I went with my family to my son's school to watch the Halloween parade, and then help with the class party. This year his class went green for the party, reusable party supplies were purchase, which was very cool. I found, at Green Home Experts, a line that is made in America, from 100% recycled plastic, is BPA free and can be recycled. We added a gummy worm to each cup to have slime juice, which was very exciting to my 5 year old. Lot's of parents brought treats, games or crafts, it was a very fun social event, and surprisingly calm for a room with 20 5/6 year olds. But my evening was to get even more interesting. At about 7pm I got a call from my friends husband to say Hannah (my friend) was in labor. She had planned to have a home birth, and had asked if I might come to help with the kids. She has 3 daughters, a four year old and two two years olds. I have been photographing this family since Hannah's first pregnancy, and we have become very close friends. I nursed my own daughter to sleep, grabbed my camera bag and headed for Hannah's house. Hillary, the midwife who was with me for my first birth was already at the house. I could go into all the details, but I will mostly let the photos tell the story from there. I was there to help with the kids, but I couldn't but take a few photos. It was in low light, and I didn't want to change the mood with flash. And I had one, two or even three of the kids, on or with me all through the labor, so it was an interesting way to shoot. I feel very honored to have been there, there was an amazing group of women there to help her. The midwife team from Gentle Birth Care, Hillary Brown Kieser, Rita DiRito and Tera Martin, also attending was doula Lori Beth Geils. As with most of my documentary work, everything in shown full frame, mostly with available light, keeping the emotive feel. Although I did pop the flash a few times, when appropriate. |
