How and why did you get started photographing babies being born? 

I love babies, birth and photography, so it was really a no-brainer. I photographed my first birth when I was 18 with a 35mm Canon film camera. I had no idea how the pictures would come out, but once I got them developed I knew I wanted to be a birth photographer. I told a couple of people, and they looked at me like I was insane. It was so unorthodox in our area. I got a degree in visual art and only told a few people what my plans were, mostly because of fear of failure. I started small, only photographing friends and family. It wasn’t long before it caught on like wildfire, especially after I started incorporating video clips and music with still photographs.

What do you love about this type of photography? 

I love that it is always 100% real. There are so many emotions from the beginning to the end of the journey. Nothing can be faked during a birth, and each one is a new, different adventure that can never be recreated.

What elements or qualities are you trying to capture in your birth photos? 

I’m always trying to capture real, raw emotion. I want people to be able look back at my pictures and think about how they felt in that moment. I love to photograph everything from the family’s nervousness before the birth to the excitement and love after, plus everything in between. I want them to feel a father’s nervous heartbeat, a mother’s happy tears and a child’s anxious laughter when they get to see their new sibling for the first time.

Can you share one of your most memorable photo assignments? 

I photographed an adoption last year. It was powerful to witness the emotions on both sides of that. The couple adopting were the nicest, most godly people I have ever met. They really made a huge impact on my life. Another memorable birth was for a blended family with four boys. The gender of the new baby was a surprise. When the baby came out and it was a girl, I thought they were going to flip the table. Everyone was in shock. You can watch both of these births on my YouTube channel, megbabin: “The Birth of Baby Sawyer” and “The Birth of Baby Sadie.”

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See more birth photography from Megan Babin by clicking on the images in the gallery below: