Being a New Orleans birth photographer, I’ve been really lucky to photograph childbirth sessions for some of the most wonderful people around. There’s just something about that NOLA community, man. I’ve said it many times, but I genuinely feel so extremely lucky to be able to work with the incredible people that I have as part of my “tribe.”
Nikki, Alyssa, Edie and now Etta are just a few of those tribe members who make me feel so lucky to do what I do! I got to photograph little Edie’s birth a few years ago, and we were all SO excited to get the chance to work together again, for baby #2. Alyssa and Nikki went through SO much to to become pregnant with Etta, and I was so pumped to be asked again to document this time in their lives–especially after so much hardship.
I love my LGBTQ clients, and I love them hard, folks. It’s so important to me, to be able to document their stories in a way that not only provides amazing memories for them, but also for others to see! It’s a big responsibility, having a platform to showcase families of ALL walks of life. I love that I get to be a part of these visual stories that enable LGBTQ people to see families that look like theirs. And these guys are a PERFECT representation of what family really is. ♥
(So, basically…thanks for making me look good, you guys! 😉 )
Even though the COVID epidemic threw us for a little bit of a loop, none of us were going to let that stop us from getting some great images of little Etta’s arrival. When the time for Alyssa’s delivery came, hospitals in the New Orleans area were not allowing any visitors. We weren’t even sure that Alyssa’s wife (aka Momma) would be allowed in to meet their little girl! Fortunately, though, a one-visitor policy was implemented just in time. And while this was kind of a bummer in that I wouldn’t be able to photograph the actual birth, we were determined to make the best of it!
Nikki used my “Guide to Photographing Your Own Birth” as a resource, and after a few questions and a Facetime session, she did a FANTASTIC job of documenting their sweet girl’s birth! She was a natural, really. I was so proud when they sent me their images to edit for them! The photos taken at the hospital are ALL Momma’s! I just did a little Photoshop tweaking. 🙂
When it came time to go home, we knew we wanted to document every second of their story there, too. And man, was it a surreal experience! I met Mommy and Momma outside of Touro Medical Center at discharge, and (fully masked), photographed their journey home with baby Etta.
Back in their home, I thought little Edie was going to literally explode with excitement, upon meeting her new baby sister. Sometimes I feel like the babies I get to document coming into the world are just a little bit “mine”, too – so I can say that I was filled with no small bit of excitement, myself. Seeing little Edie count fingers and toes, feed her sister for the first time, and just bask in the love of her perfect little family unit was so, SO amazing.
THEY EVEN HAD THE PERFECT NURSERY! #Goals, right there, y’all.
Life is crazy, right now–as of the time of this blog post. But the most important thing in life, as I teach my own children, is to roll with it. We should always remember that even when things go sideways, our story is always our story. Each moment in time is unique to us, and who we are. No one will ever live their life just as we live ours–and there are valuable memories and no small amount of joy in realizing that.
This family could have been really disappointed that Etta’s birth didn’t go according to their original birth plan. They could have lived in fear, and disappointment, and gotten mad about it all.
They didn’t, though. They embraced it (with me), and made this story unforgettable.
Live life like these guys, y’all. Live it in an unforgettable way that leaves behind some kick-ass memories.
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