d o c u m e n ta ry
birth photography
table of contents our philosophy
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what to expect
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our packages & a la carte items
album options 24
who we are 26
happy mommas 28
frequently asked questions 34
Connect 46
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our philosophy Giving birth is a deeply personal experience. It can be so many things… exciting, beautiful, messy, challenging, triumphant. It’s a surge of moments possessing a special kind of magic. The intimacy of your partner supporting you as you labor, that first glimpse of tiny fingers and toes, the delight of a big brother meeting his newborn sister, the life-changing moment when you hold your baby in your arms for the first time. These powerful moments in your family’s story deserve to be captured in all of their depth, detail and intensity–and not as hurriedly snapped, grainy cell phone pictures. We are The Birth Collective, a band of documentary photographers, and we are here to tell your story. Our members have 30+ years of documentary photography experience and 12+ years photographing many types of births: natural labor, water births, hospital births, home births, C-sections. As part of your birth support team, we are sensitive to your needs and completely unobtrusive while we work. We make it possible for you, your partner, and your team, to all be fully present for the birthing process.
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we believe that real is beautiful. Your story, your body, your baby, are beautiful. Birth is an intimate and personalized experience, and we’ll spend quality time connecting with you, learning your preferences and your birth plan. After your baby is born, you’ll be able to revisit and share your experience with amazing, high-quality photographs that capture all of those joyful, hard, sweet, unexpected moments of the birth. We are excited and grateful to be partners in your birth story! Let’s take these first steps together. Read on to learn how we can support you.
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what to What happens after I book? After you book with us, we’ll arrange a time to meet in person or connect over the phone. We want to get to know you better, review your birth plan together, and answer any questions you have about how photography will fit into your birth experience. You’ll also receive a questionnaire ahead of time that will help guide you in thinking through the photography planning process (do you want a lot of labor photos? close-ups of sweet fingers and toes? skin-to-skin moments with baby and partner? are you comfortable being partially unclothed in front of the camera? totally unclothed?). We’ll make sure we’re all on the same page, so on the big day you can focus on the important stuff (like giving birth) and not have to sweat the photography at all!
Who will photograph my birth? You can request a particular Birth Collective photographer (subject to availability), or we can select a photographer who will best fit your needs and timeframe. Your lead photographer will be on call 24/7
o expect for the 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after your due date. Our other members will serve as backups during this time, so you can feel confident that we will be there to support you no matter what.
note:
We will also be avail-
able in the event of an early birth that is more than 2 weeks before your due date, although we cannot guarantee 24/7 availability.
What happens once I go into labor? When labor starts, go ahead and give us a call so we can get prepped and ready to head over! It’s helpful to have as much of a heads-up as possible, so don’t hesitate to call—even if you’re not completely sure it’s actual labor, or if you know that you’re still a few hours out. When in doubt, give us a call! Then when your labor becomes more active and things intensify, we recommend that your labor partner, doula, or other team member gives us the call to head over. (No texts, please! A phone call is the best way to ensure we are notified!)
Our birth packages include photographic coverage from active labor (around 5 cm dilated) through 2 hours after your baby’s birth so we can capture those sweet bonding and family moments after your baby is born. There is no limit on the total number of coverage hours. If active labor is 4 hours or 14 hours, we will be there to tell your birth story. During labor we follow the photography plan we worked out ahead of time, and we’ll also check in with you to make adjustments as needed. Some mommas who originally desired to have labor photographed may have changing needs during labor and end up not wanting as many labor photos—in which case we can focus more on the moments after your baby is born. We typically do not use flash during labor, especially if you have created a low-lighting warm mood to help you focus on your contractions. If we find we need more lighting we will ask you whether or not it’s okay to turn up the lights or use artificial flash. Your labor experience and comfort level come first.
What happens after my baby is born? Once your baby is born, there are so many exciting first moments for us to photograph! Her first cry, her first time opening her eyes, her first time being plopped onto the scale and weighed, and so much more. Oftentimes family members will arrive to meet your baby, so we make sure that we’ve photographed everything you want before we end our coverage. After you head home and get a little rest, we’ll email you and your partner 5 images that you can immediately use on social media or for a digital birth announcement. (If you need a high resolution version to use for a hard-copy birth announcement, just let us know!) 6-8 weeks after the birth, you’ll receive a box of goodies in the mail, including a flash drive with your personal copies of the photos (both web and high resolution), a few 5x7 prints, your print release, and a small gift as our way of saying “thank you” for entrusting us with this intimate, important day in your family’s life.
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our packages the tadpole $1,000 USB flash drive of the best photos from
A prenatal meeting to draft a birth photography plan and discuss what to expect
the birth, color-corrected and ready to print
Photographer on-call 2 weeks before and
Web-ready, watermarked images to share on Facebook and other social media
up to 2 weeks after your due date
Password-protected gallery to share your
Photography coverage from active labor (5cm dilated) until 1-2 hours after the birth
photos with friends and family and order
5 images to be released 24 hours after the
prints Print release to print or publish photos for
birth to share with friends and family
personal use
A minimum 75-100 high resolution images in a mix of color and black & white
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the lamb
the fawn
$1,300
$1,600
The complete Tadpole package
The complete Tadpole package
plus
plus
CHOOSE ONE:
CHOOSE TWO:
Maternity Session, Newborn Session,
Maternity Session, Newborn Session, 6
or 6 Month/1 Year Session
Month/1 Year Session, or 20 page 10x10 professional flush-mount album
$50 Print Credit to use with online gallery or professional photo album
$100 Print Credit to use with online gallery or professional photo album
a la carte options All photography sessions include: A minimum 1 hour of coverage USB flash drive of the best photos from the session, color-corrected and ready to print Password-protected gallery to share your photos with friends and family and order prints Print release to print or publish photos for personal use 17
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maternity session $500 This prenatal shoot is a fabulous opportunity for you to pamper yourself and connect with your body and growing baby. Some mommas like to use this time to explore the beauty and sensuality of pregnancy through taking some boudoir photos. You also have the option of inviting other family members to join you (such as your partner and children) for some sweet moments together before your little one arrives. The shoot will take place in a location of your choice and includes 90 minutes of coverage and 35-50 high-resolution images in a mix of B&W and color. We recommend selecting a setting that you feel comfortable in, that has easy access to restroom facilities, and has privacy if you do choose to shed some clothes. We’ll ensure that we can take our time for this session so you can have an enjoyable, no-rush experience.
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newborn session $500 This session captures the delight and intimacy of your baby’s first days at home with you and your partner in a comfortable, familiar environment. We work with the personal elements of your home to document all the little details of your baby’s appearance as well as the sweet interactions between you and your newborn. The shoot will ideally take place in the first 7-10 days after birth. It includes photography coverage at home for 2 hours (so you’ll have time to feed, change, and soothe your baby!), and 35-50 high-resolution images in a mix of B&W and color.
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six-month
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one-year session $500 This shoot is a fun way to capture the amazing changes your child goes through as they develop during their first year of life! The session will take place in a location of your choice and includes photography coverage for 60 minutes and 35-50 high-resolution images in a mix of B&W and color.
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album options 8x8 Album
10x10 Album
$400
$500
Our albums are hand-made, flush-mount photo albums made with the finest Japanese silk and natural linens. Our fabric-covered albums include lay-flat binding, Fuji Crystal archive paper and a micro-fold crease. You can choose from a variety of colors.
Additional two-page spreads $20/spread
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who we are The Birth Collective was born in 2010 when founders Courtney Potter and Bridget McEnaney each photographed births for the first time. They had worked extensively as documentary and wedding photographers but had never photographed an event as raw, inspiring, and emotional as birth. When they got together to excitedly exchange birth photography stories, they talked for hours and expressed a joint desire to photograph more births and showcase women’s strength and stories. Birth photography was still not the norm at the time, and when they researched the topic they couldn’t find any organizations in North Carolina devoted solely to birth photography. So they decided to create their own, and the Birth Collective was born! Our Collective is operated by a team of three photographers, with additional part-time associates who serve as back-up photographers when we have more than two births per month. We plan on adding more members as we grow so that we can serve even more mothers and families in North Carolina. Read our bios to learn more about our members.
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Courtney Potter is a professional photographer,
small-business owner, painter, dancer, and artist. She is the co-founder of The Birth Collective and runs a wedding photography business as well. Her documentary work has taken her from Patagonia to Vietnam photographing the beauty and diversity of humanity, earning her
several awards. She believes in the incredible power of women’s bodies and is humbled, honored, and inspired to witness and photograph each birth story. Outside of her work and art, Courtney loves biking in the countryside, throwing dinner parties with friends, and traveling. Bridget McEnaney is a professional photographer, small-business owner,
advocate and co-founder of The Birth Collective. She loves engaging with birth photography as a hands-on way to provide support for mommas while also meeting a valuable need. Bridget specializes in scheduled C-sections, Newborn, and Maternity sessions. She is an advocate for women going through challenging experiences and works the weekend crisis hotline for the nonprofit Compass Center for Women and Families. Bridget lives in Chapel Hill with the love of her life and her two adorable dogs. She enjoys listening to music, relaxing with long baths, taking peaceful walks in the woods of Jordan Lake, and vacationing in Maine. Kallyn Boerner is a professional photographer, certified
birth doula with DONA International, wife, sister, daughter, friend and lover of life. She believes as a birth photographer and doula that it is a privilege to protect the space around a woman for her to feel safe, secure and loved, so that she can concentrate on birthing, in her own
powerful way. In addition to the work she does with The Birth Collective, Kallyn runs a photography business with her husband, Alex and works at Women’s Birth & Wellness Center in Chapel Hill. Kallyn loves gardening, being with good friends, eating out (a lot!) in Durham, and spending time with her husband and their fur babies.
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happy mommas
If you’re looking for beautiful, creative, authentic photos of the newborn days I highly recommend The Birth Collective. In spite of the precarious nature of life with a newborn, Courtney put us at complete ease during our newborn session and captured the most beautiful photos in the midst of the chaos. We have photos of my sleep-deprived husband and I with our newborn son screaming, sleeping, and nursing and, amazingly, they are ALL beautiful. Her gift for capturing the perfect shot no matter the circumstances or surroundings is remarkable. Courtney also has a great sense of humor and creative spirit which led to some fun impromptu shots that my husband and I both love.
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“I hired the Birth Collective to do maternity photos, birth photos, and newborn photos. Working with Courtney and Kallyn was a dream. Courtney took lovely and creative maternity portraits of me and my husband and included my son in the shoot. She was a calm supportive presence at my birth while she documented the experience through the night and into the next day when my son got to meet his brother for the first time. Kallyn came to our house the next morning to take pictures of my sons and their grandparents, then a few weeks later to take newborn photos as well. The day Kallyn came our baby was super fussy, but Kallyn persisted until she captured just the right shot. Kallyn and Courtney were not just artists and photographers to us but a huge part of our support team. It’s hard for me to describe what the photos Courtney and Kallyn took for us mean to me. I look at them so often, not just because they are beautiful, but because they do exactly what I hoped, remind me of the transformative power of birth and of myself.” - MK V. 29
happy mommas “Courtney was the perfect person to photograph our family just weeks after our son was born. Our house was a mess and we were a bit of a mess, not exactly sure of ourselves with our brand new little one. We just knew we wanted some memories from those first days (which are now indeed a blur). Courtney arrived with such a warm and calm demeanor that immediately made us feel comfortable with her. The photographs are priceless.” - Eve &
Eric P.
“I have known
in her photog
new baby tog
between us a to my face. It
remember ve
emotion after
days of our liv
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“Kallyn is undoubtedly blessed with the gift of photography. Her unique perspective not only captures the authenticity of the moment, but the very essence of the person being photographed... and in my case, this included the precious soul essence of my baby Galileo while still warm inside my tummy. She meets the moment with compassion, ease, and gentleness, creating a safe and cozy ‘anywhere’ environment worthy of relaxation, self-confidence, and consequently, photographic truth. What a blessing to experience the joy that radiates from Kallyn’s gifted heart and hands. I’m one lucky mamma for having been touched by her camera love.” - Betsy H.
n Courtney for several years and have always been amazed at her skill and her unique perspective
graphy work. My favorite moment that she captured was when Aaron and I first admired our
gether in amazement. I love the big smile on my husband’s face and how she captured the love
and the emotion of the moment. Many of the photos brought tears to my eyes and a huge smile was awesome to relive the experience and see some details that I had forgotten or didn’t
ery well. I was in an altered state of mind while I was in labor, and I was overwhelmed with
r the birth, so it was great to have the photos to remember it all. It was one of the most special
ves and I feel so lucky that I had Courtney there to document it for us.” - Jenny G.
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frequently asked questions How can I hire The Birth Collective? Once you contact us we’ll set up an initial meeting by phone or in person to talk about which services you’re interested in. Your retainer ($100 for individual sessions, and $300-$500 for birth packages) reserves the two weeks before and two weeks after your due date. We suggest you contact us early in your pregnancy, but it’s never too early or too late to get in touch! he trickiest lighting situations and that your partner and family will be in front of the camera with you and your baby instead of behind it. We believe your birth deserves to be captured artfully and professionally so these moments are well-preserved.
What areas do you service? Will you travel out-of-state? We primarily service Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake counties in North Carolina but are available to travel outside those areas for a small travel fee. We are only available out-ofstate for scheduled inductions.
When do you start shooting? When is the session over? Unless you’ve purchased additional time, our coverage will begin during active labor (5cm dilated) and end 1-2 hours after the birth. It’s important to get in touch with us as soon as you
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think you may be in labor and again when a doctor or midwife confirms active labor to allow us enough time to get to you.
Do you pose photos? For birth photography we do not pose photos —we want to document your birth experience rather than direct it. For maternity and newborn sessions we will take a lifestyle approach, directing you in some aspects but with the intention of creating a natural feel and look.
Do you shoot in color or black & white? Most of our birth images will be delivered in black & white with select images in color. Other sessions will include a mix of both color and black & white.
Will more than one of you be at the birth? No, only one Birth Collective photographer will attend your birth, but we always serve as back-ups for each other. In the event that we are there for more than 8 hours for your labor
and delivery, we will “switch out” photographers in shifts to make sure we are fully energized and focused on your photography!
What equipment do you use? Will you use flash during the birth? We use Canon 5d mark II’s and 5d mark III’s, along with an assortment of professional Canon lenses. We prefer to use available light because we like the feel of it and don’t want to disturb a laboring mother during the birth. Flash may be used in poorly-lit circumstances with the permission of the mother and hospital or birthing center staff.
How many images can I expect? For a standard birth photography package we will deliver a minimum of 75-100 color-corrected images.
When should we call you? Call us as soon as contractions begin or your water breaks so that we have advanced notice. Call us again when you are 3-5cm
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dilated, or when active labor has begun. If you are getting an induction, give us the date and time in advance. It’s always a good idea to let someone other than your partner know to contact us in case they forget to get in touch with us in the happy chaos of early labor!
What happens if it’s a false labor? Get in touch with us as soon as you think you may be in labor, but we will wait to head over until we get a second call when active labor has been confirmed by a doctor or midwife.
What if I give birth prematurely? We will be on call for the two weeks before and two weeks after your due date, but that doesn’t mean that if labor starts earlier we won’t be able to make it! Give us a call as soon as you know you are in labor.
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Do you shoot C-sections? Absolutely! C-sections don’t change the beauty of the birth experience. The hours before the C-section, your family’s anticipation, and those first moments with your baby in recovery are magical. If the hospital allows us in the operating room we will be there, and if not we will be waiting for you close by.
What happens if something goes wrong that we wouldn’t want photographed? Births are unpredictable, and it’s important to us that we respect your wishes. We will work together with you before the birth to lay out a plan for all of the what-ifs (NICU, complications, hospital rules, etc).
Do you provide other birth services? Not yet, but we can recommend our favorite doulas, midwives, and other health care professionals. One of our members, Kallyn Boerner, is also a doula. You can get in touch with her about doula services via her website www.heartinhandsnc.com.
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What should I wear to my Maternity Session? Keep these two things in mind when picking your outfits: comfort and showing off your beautiful pregnancy curves. Anything that accentuates your cute bump is great, such as a belt and solid colors. If you are comfortable wearing tight clothing and don’t mind showing off all of your gorgeous pregnant body curves, opt for a beautiful bodycon dress or even pretty lingerie! A maxi dress is also a beautiful, flowy option that photographs well and feels so great. Textured clothing like lace, denim, or a chunky knit sweater for winter sessions add dimension to your photos. Have two outfits ready with several accessories.
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d o c u m e n ta ry
birth photography
connect with us www.ncbirthcollective.com photo@ncbirthcollective.com www.facebook.com/TheBirthCollective
We are excited a n d g r at e f u l
to be partners in your birth story!