Best Birth Photos 2020 - Competition Winners IAPBP
“Earthly Goddess”
Ensuing the amazing chaos of the winners being announced, I’m pleasantly surprised to find out that out of 702 entries from 22 countries, one of my images placed in the top 10% and another placed in the top 20% of images entered in the 10th annual international Association of professional Birth Photographer’s contest.
It feels pretty cool to see my work place so high among the artists that inspire me, my mentors and peers.
IAPBP (International Association of Professional Birth Photographers) was founded 10 years ago by Lyndsay Stradtner of Life in Motion Photography.
I started specializing in birth in Santa Barbara, CA 8 years ago in 2012 and I have been a proud member for the last 6 years.
The organization puts on an annual image contest and I always make sure to enter, but as you can imagine with all the incredibly outstanding artists in 52 different countries and 1140+ members, placing in the contest with a winning image is every birth photographer’s greatest annual challenge.
Standing distinguished among globally incredible on-call artists who work under the trickiest lighting and emotionally charged environments is such an honor in itself. I enjoy watching how much we all as birth photographers have grown, but also how the world’s perspective of the industry has changed.
I’m blown away and love the shift I’m seeing of people educating themselves on their birth choices and how transformative birth can be. And of course, welcoming artists who are also birth workers at the core into the sacred birth space.
“That Magic Touch”
The Story Behind The Images
I remember when I first met my client. She was pregnant and answered my model call for my Womenhood Project. Without meeting me and without hesitation, she entrusted my vision and ventured into the hills of Santa Barbara with four other women. We clicked and just got each other.
Here’s a photo of my client from that project.
She was planning a homebirth with the Santa Barbara Birth Center and was alone for her pregnancy, by choice. She wanted to surround herself during labor with powerful feminine energy and decided to document it by hiring me. And that’s exactly what she got! The Santa Barbara Midwives were so amazing, and supportive, and as a result, my client had her dream birth. I found myself in awe of her throughout her birth and it was so empowering to witness her magic.
I knew her birth would easily become one of my favorites. I got so lucky with the dreamy lighting, but the sheer vulnerability and power she exuded was absolutely beautiful.
I wanted to share another image I entered into the competition and is my and my client’s favorite image from her birth.