Birth photographer, Monet Nicole Moutrie from Denver, Colorardo in the U.S. has been a child birth photographer for the last eight years. Here we take a look at her incredible work
After witnessing and photographing her older sister’s last birth, Monet was inspired to become a birth photographer. Having had three prior hospital births, Monet’s sister decided to give birth at home and invited Monet to watch the process from start to finish. “I didn’t have children of my own, and I was mesmerized by what the female body was capable of.”
“Taking photos of my sweet nephew’s first few hours of life was immensely rewarding. From that point forward, I knew I wanted to move into the realm of birth photography.”
“Each birth is completely unique. Although births do tend to follow a pattern, they always manage to surprise us! When I get called to a birth, I know there are a thousand different possibilities. The variety is incredible and makes each birth just as exciting as the first one I shot.”
What Monet loves most about capturing these precious moments is “watching the strong and brave work my clients do. There is nothing more moving then seeing a mother labor and toil and then finally hold her beloved child in her arms. Both the pain and the joy are unmatched.”
“The gentle touch of a partner, a baby’s first attempt at opening his/her eyes.” It’s the small moments that Monet tries to capture in her photography.
Monet feels reward from capturing the true events of birth, as well as the emotional moments. “I also love capturing the actual birth. Some birth photographers shy away from crowning shots but I love them. I think they are just as beautiful and important as any others.”
“Transformative. Empowering. Beautiful.” Those are the three simple words Monet uses to describe child birth.
Despite witnessing birth after birth over the last eight years, the miracle of a baby being born doesn’t lose its impact for Monet. “Each story is unique and powerful. I find myself in tears when I’m editing images because I’ll look back and find all these small little moments that almost slipped away. There is no posing in birth photography. There is no direction. I simply capture what unfolds. And I find that each birth is just as magical as the last one.”
“Women during childbirth are goddesses! They are connected to a power greater than us. It’s a wonder to behold,” she says.
“The moment a child is born is electrifying. I can feel the energy dramatically shift in the room the moment that child comes up or out and into his or her mother’s arms.”
Monet explains why she enjoys capturing home births the most: “Home births are special because you get to see a family in their natural environment. You watch them interacting with their animals, the special objects that bring them comfort. Home births are often darker, more quiet, and more intimate.”
But she finds hospital births to be a wonderful experience to capture too: “Hospital births are beautiful too. Some of my most dramatic images are taken at hospital births. The crowning shots you can get at a hospital birth are often spectacular!”
And C-sections? “C-section births brim with beauty too. It’s incredible to watch a baby reach up and out into the world…to see the look on his parents’ faces when he’s brought over to them.”
Monet hopes to illustrate that despite some mothers not having the birth experience they hoped or planned for, that her photographs are a powerful depiction of the experience regardless.
So why does she share the intimate photos she captures on social media? “I share almost all of my birth stories (with client’s permission of course). I believe that we need to see images of women giving birth because it helps change our culture’s perception of the female body.”
This photo is Monet’s favourite. Why? “This one is very special to me. I think it captures what birth is like for many women…exhausting, rewarding, and beautiful. I love the way the cord rests on her belly and the look of relief on her face.”
But not all of Monet’s photos exclusively capture the mother’s joy post-birth. “I definitely push the envelope, but I refuse to allow these images and representations of womanhood to be censored. I think this is one reason that people have been drawn to my work. I also am a writer, and I love sharing both visual and written expressions about birth.”
Her photos are raw, emotional and powerful.
The moment when a mother holds her new baby in her arms for the first time is remarkable.
What a wonderful thing it is to have the moment of child birth captured in a photo – something to be treasured, indeed. See more of Monet’s births photography at her website: Monet Nicole
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