emotion

I've been thinking a lot about emotion the last few days.

I had the opportunity to photograph the birth of one of my good friend's second girl last week.  This is the sixth birth I have photographed this year.  I remember being really unsure if I wanted to photograph births for a long time.  Having never experienced this myself, I thought it might scare me away from having my own kids.

Luckily, it has done the complete opposite.  The experiences I have had this year photographing births have become some of the most special moments of my career.  

I know I write a lot about my business, but it is a huge part of my life.  I feel incredibly lucky to be where I am today.  Taking a GIANT leap of faith and pursuing my business full-time was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.  Not only have I made a lot more money, I've met some of the most amazing people.  I feel so lucky to spend some of the happiest moments of someone's life with them.

There is no question that I love photographing weddings.  I love love.  Emotions on wedding days are high and happy.  There are special moments that happen and I feel so privileged to capture those emotions on camera.

But there is something extra special about photographing births.  I am strictly an observer in these moments.  No directing or posing occurs.  I have witnessed emotions I'm not even sure the parents of the baby remember expressing.  

And let me tell you, it is one beautiful thing.

  

What I have been so lucky to witness is when someone is so overcome with emotion, it almost comes bursting out of them.  That moment, when nothing is withheld, is so incredibly powerful.  It only lasts sometimes for a second, before our voice inside our head tells us to compose ourselves, but oh, it is beautiful.

I completely believe that these are the moments that define our life.

The dad in the series of photos above inspired my thoughts.  You can see in the first photo how he is smiling, cheering on his beautiful wife.  Seconds later, when the baby was born, his emotions had completely changed.  He started to sob and was so overcome with emotion at the sight of his beautiful baby girl that you could hear it in his voice.  

When I talk about births to other people, it is really hard to explain how I feel about them.  There is no question that I am crying my eyes out behind my camera every single time that baby is lifted up and placed on mom's tummy for the first time.  They are one of the most miraculous things I've ever witnessed.  I can't even explain in words how incredible they are.  

I am so grateful to the couples who have let me be a part of that experience with them.  

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Now here is my desperate plea... if you ever even considered for a second... even had a little "maybe I would like that" thought pop into your head, PLEASE hire a photographer for your birth.  I don't think anyone has ever regretted it.  I'm not even begging you to hire ME (although, I would love it if you did.)  You know how people say, "The happiest days of my life was the day I got married and the days my children were born."  

Yeah!!!  

You should have that documented!  

Oh it's so incredibly magical and wonderful and I don't even know how to express to you how important I think it is!  

Please, please, please.

Okay, I'm done.  :)

You can find my photography website here:

www.jtaylorphotography.com