BIRTH
Every year we take a step back from administrative tasks to enjoy the holidays fully, and blogging is one of them! The studio is open for limited hours and we still have a couple of last minute spots remaining for sessions. Just contact us if that’s what you’re looking for and we’ll do our best to fit you in!
See you again on the blog in 2019!
If you're like me, you want to know about the person you're inviting into your life to document what will become some of your family's most treasured images. I worked with an amazing videographer to create a short video of Lily Sophia Photography studio experience, and I share my philosophy and approach.
If you're pregnant in the Atlanta area and interested in booking me for your maternity and/or newborn session, I'd love to chat more about how I can make it one of the best experiences you've ever had. I love each and every one of my clients, and I highly value and care about them. The entire experience is designed around making it as seamless and stress free as possible for my clients. As a mom of three, I know where you are. I get it. Most of my clients return time and time again as their families grow, and I love the long term relationships that I have developed over the years.
If you're ready to reserve your newborn or maternity session, just contact me to start planning your session! It's never too early to book to guarantee my availability. I typically book months in advance and am currently booking all the way into October 2016. I can't wait to work with you!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
I had a client ask me a question today when they came to the studio for their consultation for The Birth Session. It was a simple question. They asked me, "What makes you different from other birth photographers besides your shooting and editing style?" Obviously, there's not just ONE answer to that question, but I wanted to touch on one of the answers that I gave them because I think it's so important that anyone considering birth photography take the following into consideration - whether they're here in Atlanta looking for a birth photographer or not!
When you hire me as your birth photographer you can take comfort in the fact you are hiring someone who understands the importance of discretion and respects your privacy - and places that at the forefront of your entire experience from beginning to end.
(1) I won't share identifiable images of you or your baby online unless I am specifically requested to. I never identify clients by a searchable name on my website. Some of the names that I use aren't even the real names! It's a very small world. Would you want a future potential boss of yours or your husband to see your labor and delivery or private moments between your new family? These are things that new expectant parents don't think about. Once it's out there on the Internet, you can never erase it.
(2) Your baby's private parts will never be shown in a photo, even if it's unidentifiable. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we have to worry about this. I see far too many birth photographers sharing photos with baby bits prominently shown. I am a mother of two little girls, so needless to say - seeing images violating the privacy of a minutes old baby saddens and angers me.
(3) I do not require a model release to hire me. There are some birth photographers that will NOT accept you as a client unless you sign a model release. This is their right as a business owner to require, but it's also your right as a client to have privacy. So, if privacy is important to you, make sure that a model release isn't required and that they will not share any images without your express permission.
The truth is: I have so many amazing and emotional birth images that I would love for potential clients to see - but it's not my birth. It's yours. You, your partner, and your baby deserve the utmost privacy, respect, and discretion. Did you know that roughly 75% of my births are not shared online anywhere in any form?
(4) I never share links and passwords to birth films with inquiries or people who ask. I can tell you that I have run into midwives and doctors who were in attendance that ask if they can see the photos or video. I inform them that they must ask their patient and that I am not at liberty to share. Additionally, all potential clients who inquire must come to the studio to meet with me for a consultation. These potential clients can then view birth films that I have been given permission to share - and they view them sitting right next to me on my iPad. There is no danger of your private moments being stolen and shared with the world.
Ready to book your birth session? I am completely booked for 2015 and have already filled my calendar through March 2016! Contact me today to schedule a consult for The Birth Session, and watch this short 1.5 minute film to see what the experience of working with me is like. I can't wait to meet you and capture one of the most amazing days of your life!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
Are you on Instagram? I am! My username is LILYSOPHIAPHOTOGRAPHY. Instagram is one of my favorite mediums for posting photos and to share what's going on with Lily Sophia Photography. I post of mix of personal iPhone photos and client images.
If you're a client and post photos from your session to Instagram, I'd love to see what you share - just hashtag your post #lilysophiaphotography!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
This mama was a special one, as her husband was deployed serving our country. She wanted a birth photographer to document the day so that he could be a part of it too. I headed to DeKalb Medical Center in Decatur, GA when she called me to let me know she was in labor and was inspired by her determined laboring despite having to receive magnesium sulfate due to high blood pressure. She was absolutely determined to labor without an epidural, and she did it! I loved being there as a support to her, and consider her a friend now. And may I take a moment to thank the families in our Armed Forces who make the ultimate sacrifice for our country on a daily basis? They willingly miss huge life events like their babies being born in order to protect us, and they deserve all of our respect and gratitude.
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
As one of Atlanta's few professional birth photographers who has been photographing births for a while, I am often asked what I love the most about this work. My answer is better expressed with one of my favorite recent birth images. A picture is worth a thousand words... and in some cases, a million. This moment is one of them, seconds after this beautiful baby boy was born and handed to his parents. Look at them. Look at the awe, the relief, and the closeness of their family.
This. This is why you hire a professional birth photographer to attend your birth. So that you and your partner can work together and focus on each other while bringing your baby into the world. And when your baby is finally in your arms after nine long months of waiting and dreaming about what their little face would look like, you can soak in the moments while I capture those first moments as parents. Moments that are once in a lifetime, and that can never be repeated with this new little life. Moments that I won't disturb with a flash or by asking you to pose. Real, authentic emotion in tangible memories that will still make your throat catch and your eyes shimmer when you look at them years from now. A beautiful keepsake album for your child to see the story of their birthday. Stunning prints to pass around to excited family and friends so they can feel like they were with you during those moments.
Your baby's birth only happens once - why not make sure you never forget any of the details in what will be the most amazing day of your life, second only to your wedding day. You will always be a parent to this baby, n0 matter where life takes you. Providing families with the ability to have these memories is what motivates and drives me, and why I love photographing births here in Atlanta so much.
Want to get started? It's simple! Click here to contact me today and we'll meet in my studio which is located in Historic Grant Park located by Zoo Atlanta. The meeting is complimentary with no obligation. I know you're probably tired from growing a baby, so we can meet on the weekend in the afternoon after you've had a chance to sleep in and recover from the week. You'll have a chance to ask questions, see the products offered with each collection, and view family friendly birth films not available for online viewing.
As of this posting, I currently have limited spots remaining through August 2015, with one last minute availability slot remaining for May 2015.
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
I met this couple on a Saturday at my natural light studio in Atlanta. They reserved their birth session ten minutes after leaving my studio via text message. The very next morning, I got the call that they were in labor, so I headed up to Northside Hospital to document the birth of their baby. They were such a sweet couple, and I loved spending the day with them. All of my birth session clients choose whether they are comfortable with photos being shared online. Some clients love for their entire story to be shared along with their video so that their friends and family can come to the website to see it. Others prefer only photos being shared that do not show their faces or identify them. It is YOUR birth, so I will respect what your wishes are in regards to sharing.
Today I delivered this family's birth collection to their home, and we watched their birth video together and sorted through their folio prints to begin designing their album. I even got to snuggle with their sweet little baby for a little bit! (That's just one of the many perks of being a professional Atlanta birth photographer!)
Congratulations to this wonderful couple - your baby is beautiful, and it was such an honor to be invited to document this once in a lifetime day for you.
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
When I first met these lovely parents here in Atlanta to talk about birth photography, I knew it was going to be a fun birth. They informed me that they were waiting to find out if their sweet baby was a boy or a girl until the birth, and that the whole family would be in the waiting room. I was right. When I arrived at the birth, I spent some time out in the waiting room with their very excited family members to document how they were passing the time. When baby boy arrived, it was nothing short of magical to hear the announcement to them by dad and hear the cheers and whoops. Here are just a few images from their birth session. This couple chose to have their birth story told through a birth video as well, and if you come to the studio for a consultation, you can watch it there with me. Each of my clients determines if they are comfortable sharing photos and their video online or in the studio only.
If you are thinking about birth photography or reserving The Birth Session, please be sure to contact me right away. I meet with all interested couples in my studio for a no obligation consultation for about an hour. Fill out this form here to get started. Birth photography is a personal experience and an investment: be confident in your choice!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
I first met Jessica and her partner, David at Izzy Maternity in Buckhead. She and I started talking and when I learned that David was a photographer, I mentioned that I was a birth photographer here in Atlanta. Jessica decided that she wanted to book my services even though she had a scheduled c-section planned. So many potential clients ask if a c-section will make their birth any less beautiful and the answer is absolutely not!
I could go on, but instead I'll leave you with some kind words from Jessica about her experience working with me.
"My friend and fellow industry professional: Lauren captured the birth of my daughter two weeks ago. My partner and father of my child, David Rams, is also a photographer. So choosing another photographer to be a part of our experience and capture it from their viewpoint was as can be imagined, difficult for him to allow. We liked Lauren's style and felt she would capture our experience in the way we would want. Lauren was there from the moment we checked-in and regardless of her profession, I needed her there as my support in addition to David. I trusted her knowledge and experience. Our friendship with Lauren only grew from that day and both David and I feel like our friendship with her is in more of a special place because of that day and her journey through it all with David, Jansen and myself."
If you are considering reserving The Birth Session, contact me right away. I meet with all interested couples in my studio for a no obligation consultation for about an hour. Fill out this form here to get started. Birth photography is a personal experience and an investment: be confident in your choice!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
I first met this mama via FaceTime since she lived over an hour away and wasn't up to traveling to interview me. We connected right away and by the end of the conversation she had decided to hire me to document her birth. We became friends (as I do with all of my clients) and texted each other quite a lot in the months leading up to her birth. Traditional Birth Services of Atlanta with midwife Brenda Parrish and her assistant midwife in training, Cindy Morrow attended the birth. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful birth, and SUCH a gorgeous baby!
If you are considering reserving The Birth Session, contact me right away. I meet with all interested couples in my studio for a no obligation consultation for about an hour. Birth photography is a personal experience and an investment: be confident in your choice!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
I first met Georgia and Thomas at their maternity session, and really enjoyed getting to know them. They decided to hire me as their birth photographer at the end of their maternity session, and I happened to be available to accept them! It was only a couple of weeks later that Georgia and Thomas welcomed their baby girl Paxton into the world on April 29th at Kennestone Hospital in Kennesaw, GA. I was so honored to be a part of it and document such an important and beautiful day in their lives. Congratulations Georgia and Thomas! Paxton, you're a lucky little lady with parents like yours!
If you are thinking about birth photography or reserving The Birth Session, please be sure to contact me right away. I meet with all interested couples in my studio for a no obligation consultation for about an hour. Birth photography is a personal experience and an investment: be confident in your choice!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
One of the most common questions that I am asked about my birth photography in Atlanta is whether or not I use a flash. The answer: only if I absolutely have to, and NEVER once baby has been born. I do not use a direct flash. If you don't know what that is, it's basically what you have on your camera that pops up from the top and flashes directly at the subject. As you probably already know, direct flash is blinding and often washes out the photo completely.
However, during birth I do sometimes use a bounced flash. For example, during a waterbirth in a dark room, I might need to bounce my flash off the ceiling or wall with a diffuser to capture the baby crowning and coming out. It all depends on the lighting conditions of the labor room and the photos that the parents want to have. Some parents don't want crowning shots, some do. A lot of factors come into play when making decisions about how to best capture images in the different stages. Regardless of the lighting conditions, I never have my flash pointed directly at the mother. I can't think of anything worse than trying to concentrate during a contraction and having a bright light flashing in my face randomly with no warning. Part of my job as a birth photographer is to respect the birthing space and be as unobtrusive as possible so the mother can progress well and not feel interrupted or annoyed.
There's no way to predict what the lighting situation will be at a birth since some mothers prefer to labor with the lights turned low, while others want lights. My job as a birth photographer is to work with the existing environment and be flexible. Sometimes the lighting situation will change multiple times during a labor. If I had a dollar for every time a nurse or midwife flipped a light switch on or off during the time I cover a birth... well, I'd be rich!
When the baby is born, my flash is tabled completely. The research states that flash isn't actually harmful to the eyes of newborns, but I just don't think it's necessary to put them through that. I have the experience and the training to photograph the moments after birth without needing to use my flash. Besides, your baby just came from a safe, warm, and dark place. A flash would just be invasive and disturb them. I'd much rather use the other continuous lighting options that I carry with me!
As you can see from the photo above, I don't need to use flash to get beautiful photos of a minutes old baby! It was actually quite dark in this room, but since I shoot with a full frame camera and am experienced with the best settings for low light environments, I simply made a few quick adjustments and captured baby's measurements in a non invasive way for all present.
Most babies spend time on their mom's chest after their birth and open their eyes to look around. There are so many sweet moments that can be captured, and the last thing I want to do is upset a brand new baby (or mother!) with a harsh flash that disturbs them or makes them cry. They've already had a tough journey to earth side!
Another major reason that I don't use flash after the baby is born is illustrated in my image below.
This little one opened their eyes and spent time looking around and taking in their environment. I wouldn't have been able to get photos of this baby with their eyes open without causing them to squint or just refuse to open their eyes to avoid the flash entirely.
I hope this has answered any questions you may have had regarding my use of flash in birth photography! If you live in the Atlanta area and are looking for a birth photographer, I would love to chat more with you about my services.
If you are considering reserving The Birth Session, contact me right away. I meet with all interested couples in my studio for a no obligation consultation for about an hour. Fill out this form here to get started. Birth photography is a personal experience and an investment: be confident in your choice!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
I'm an Atlanta birth photographer, and I love documenting birth stories! This couple was such a sweet couple, and they were expecting their third baby... a little girl after two boys. To say they were excited would be an understatement. When I arrived, I silently sat in my corner of the room as Lauren and Russ worked together as a team to bring baby Caroline into the world. It was very special to watch, and the look of elation on Lauren's face when Caroline was placed on her chest was so beautiful. That look is the look I see in every birth... the mixture of overwhelming joy, relief, excitement all blended together in one. Birth is a transformative event in the life of a woman, no matter if it's their first baby or their fifth! Lauren and Russ had invited Lauren's mom to come to the birth, and it was so special to see her mother's reaction. It was love at first sight for all of them!
If you are considering reserving The Birth Session, please contact me right away. I meet with all interested couples in my studio for a no obligation consultation for about an hour. Want to know what it's like to work with me? Watch this short film which will give you a very good look at my personality and how I work. Every single client who has seen this before coming to meet with me has stated it depicts me perfectly.
Fill out this form here to get started! Birth photography is very a personal experience. Your baby's birth only happens once. The Birth Session is an investment: I want you to be confident in your choice!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
The lead up to this birth was an exciting one! Atlanta experienced a wild ice storm, and I was on pins and needles hoping that baby boy would hold off his arrival so that I could make it to the birth. As an Atlanta birth photographer, snow and ice aren't something I have to contend with very often! I had my backup plan of taking MARTA or just walking to the hospital if necessary. The main concern was that his parents would be able to make the trek to the hospital from their home! Baby boy decided to cooperate with all of our hopes, and I got the call the evening of January 29. It was a little icy on the roads to the hospital, but nothing I couldn't handle.
This couple was a Bradley couple expecting their second child. They were patients of Intown Midwifery, and delivered at Atlanta Medical Center in a waterbirth. When I arrived, mom was laughing and smiling and continued to do so all the way up to transition. Her husband was a wonderful support to her, and it was awesome to watch them labor together. She was a rock star as she managed to work through her contractions and hold off of pushing long enough to finish her antibiotics. Once that IV drip was done, she wasted no time in delivering her sweet boy! Baby Brooks was born at 10:46 PM and was an 8 pound bundle of squishy perfection.
If you are considering reserving The Birth Session, contact me right away. I meet with all interested couples in my studio for a no obligation consultation for about an hour. Fill out this form here to get started. Birth photography is a personal experience and an investment: be confident in your choice!
This birth was such a special one because it was out of state, and because the couple chose to wait until their baby was born to find out if they had a son or daughter! I love births when the parents don't know because it's so exciting to find out at the end if it's a boy or girl!
I got the call that mom was in labor, and drove 4 hours from Atlanta to Fort Mill, SC to a free standing birth center to photograph this birth. I arrived right after mom and dad did at around 2 PM, and mom was already in the tub laboring. She was in the zone managing her contractions, so I quietly set up and starting taking photos.
This was a Bradley couple and they had also hired a doula to assist them. Dad was super supportive of mom and was in and out of the tub holding her, putting cold washcloths on her head and neck, and just being a strong and silent supporter. I was so impressed with the love and dedication he showed to his wife as they worked hard to deliver their baby. In the births that I have attended, I would say this one was probably one of the most difficult labors I have seen, but this couple rocked it!
Women in labor are so, so, so beautiful to me. They are doing one of the most physically difficult yet most rewarding things a woman can do. They're bringing a new life into the world. As a birth photographer, to be present in the room documenting this process always humbles me. It's such an honor to be invited, and I don't take it for granted.
The contractions were very strong in mom's back, so it was not a comfortable labor for her. Since her water had not broken, baby was taking time to descend. Eventually, mom left the tub to labor outside of it for a while, and her water broke then, finally bringing the baby down. After 4 hours of pushing, mom delivered at 6:30 PM, and found out she had a SON! A beautiful 9 pound 11 ounce baby boy measuring at 21 inches long. The name they chose was Kaelen, which means "Warrior". He's too little to know if he'll live up to the meaning of his name, but his mama certainly was!
If you are considering reserving The Birth Session, contact me right away. I meet with all interested couples in my studio for a no obligation consultation for about an hour. Fill out this form here to get started. Birth photography is a personal experience and an investment: be confident in your choice!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
I had my first daughter, Lily, in a waterbirth in 2011. It was a wonderful experience, but there are hardly any pictures. Birth photography wasn't really a "thing" here in Atlanta so I didn't know of any photographers offering the service. Plus, I didn't have any photographer friends who could just drop everything and come to my labor and delivery whenever it actually happened. So I decided that I would just set my camera to automatic and have our doula take photos when she could.
Doulas provide support to moms in labor, so I don't have very many good photos of my labor process. I so wish that I did, but my doula supporting me was the priority. I needed my doula to do the job I had hired her to do. If she had been taking photos, she wouldn't have been able to do that. Once our daughter was born, our doula grabbed our camera and did the best she could. We knew she wasn't a professional photographer and didn't have high expectations at all. We have some very sweet photos from the day, and since I'm a professional photographer with editing software I was able to edit the photos.
When I saw the photos that my doula took for us with my camera, I thought to myself "I'm so happy that I at least have something to look back on and show my daughter someday." I also thought, "Gosh, I wish a professional birth photographer had been an option, because there are so many things and small details about Lily and that day that will fade in my memory." Make no mistake, I am not criticizing our doula! She never presented herself as being a professional photographer of any sort and I didn't have high expectations. Even if she HAD been a professional photographer and doula, she wouldn't have been able to get any more photos since I needed her support so much.
What your baby looks like minutes after being born is hard to freeze in your mind. They change so quickly, even in the first couple of hours! Since I was recovering from labor and delivery and enjoying my sweet new baby, getting up and taking all of those small detail shots wasn't an option for me. A birth photographer would have been able to capture all of that for me.
I attended my first birth in 2012 as a birth photographer for a dear friend, and I absolutely loved it. I realized that this was something that I wanted to offer, but I just wasn't at a place in my life where I could offer birth photography here in Atlanta due to having a one year old and another on the way.
Between the births of my daughters, birth photographers became available in Atlanta. I decided to hire one for the birth of our second child, and I'm so, so, so glad I did! Our doula returned for round two and was glad to have the weight of photographing our birth off of her shoulders so she could solely focus on supporting us. Having a separate person dedicated to each role was important to me, because I did not want to risk any precious photo opportunities being missed. Birth cannot be reshot!
I look at the images from Violet's birth and they take me back to those first moments with her. I look at her features frozen in the photographs and can remember exactly how cute her little nose was, her little fingers, her little toes. Even better, I was able to share those photos with my grandmother, my mother, my sister, and my best friends. Looking at them allows them to feel like they were there when Violet entered our lives. I also love the photos of me holding my daughter. A professional knows how to shoot the post birth bonding photos from flattering angles. :)
Birth photography is my passion! I love nothing more than grabbing my gear bag in the middle of the night to get to a mom in labor. If you're considering birth photography for your birth in the Atlanta area, I would love nothing more than to talk with you more about being your birth photographer!! I've given birth to two children and know exactly what you'll be going through. I know how to respect your space while you're in labor while still getting beautiful images. I know the moments that you're going to want to remember years from now when your baby heads off to college or walks down the aisle, or welcomes their own baby into their arms. I consider it such an honor and privilege to be invited to document birth stories. Watch this 3 minute film and get an idea of what the experience is like with me as your photographer.
If you are considering reserving The Birth Session, contact me right away. I meet with all interested couples in my studio for a no obligation consultation for about an hour. Fill out this form here to get started. Birth photography is a personal experience and an investment: be confident in your choice!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
