International Association of Professional Birth Photographers

Beyond Birth Photography with Belle Verdiglione

I’m so excited to be bringing you Belle Verdiglione. Belle is a former birth photographer, now a potent identity photographer, and a truly inspiring coach. Through her online community, Camera Queens [https://www.belleverdiglione.com.au/camera-queens], you can learn from experienced photographers, be surrounded by like-minded women (both online and in-person) and learn exactly how to operate and grow your photography business in your own unique way. Belle dived into birth photography back in 2011 when she was on maternity leave with a newborn and a toddler and was itching to get back into the workforce. After studying photography at university, Belle was always very passionate about it but wasn’t sure what path to take. Her friend sent her a link with photos from an American birth photographer and when she saw them she was swept up in full body tingles and an inner knowing that she had found her new path. Belle shares the evolution she’s witnessed in birth photography in Australia throughout her career, especially the way that activism has led to normalising birth and images on social media. The healing that can happen when we celebrate, not only the life of a baby, but also death. Miscarriages and stillbirths are no longer swept under the rug and there is so much power and healing that comes from having that celebration and sharing those photos with others. We explore how new birth photographers can create a holistic experience for the families they serve. Belle discusses when you enter that space, you must have an open heart and be present to all aspects, not just the physical, but also the energetics of a room. Belle shares how she moved from birth photography into potent identity photography. This type of photography involves bringing your whole essence, your truth and your light into the images. We are anchoring your higher self vision into these photos so that you can birth your offer and your vision into the world and everyone viewing it will feel it. Belle encourages you to take the time to really nourish yourself and rest in between births to prevent burn out and recognise when you’re at a close of a cycle and ready for something new. Tune in to hear all about Belle’s amazing journey and her incredible advice, wisdom and experience. LINKS Where to find Belle Verdiglione: Instagram: @belleverdiglioneWebsite: https://www.belleverdiglione.com.au/ [https://www.belleverdiglione.com.au/] Where you can find us:Our website: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers [https://birthphotographers.com/] If you'd like to become a member you can sign up here [http://www.birthphotographers.com/join]!

Capturing Resilience: Trauma-Informed Birth Care with Tania Fragoso from The Grateful Doula

I’m chatting with the remarkable Tania Fragosa from The Grateful Doula. Tania offers her clients doula and birth photography services and is passionate about walking alongside her clients while holding space, guiding and sharing knowledge with them throughout their journey. Tania is a mother of three beautiful daughters and her first birth was a very traumatic event. Through her experience she fell in love with birth work and everything that comes into it. She was motivated about studying and acknowledging the impact of trauma, especially birth trauma and how the affects ripple out into the birth mother, her family and her support network. Tania made it her mission to use trauma informed care in her approach as a doula and birth photographer to offer her clients a holistic compassionate service. Tania takes us through what it looks like to use trauma informed care with her clients and acknowledges that you can’t keep pushing a pregnant woman in labor on and on as she might be pushed too far into a traumatic event. There can be a fine line between cheering the mother on and learning when to hold back and acknowledge where her head is at. Tania advocates for health professionals to use empathy and think twice before saying something that can be interpreted as aggressive or dismissive that can lead the mum to freeze or disassociate. As birth photographers, we have to know how to understand and work with our own triggers. Tania shares how every birth has the capacity to be triggering for the photographer and you must learn how you will overcome it in the moment. Have an active conversation with yourself about your own limits and participate actively in your healing. Remember what can be traumatising for me may not be traumatising for you. You should be checking in with your clients on their own healing journey to find how you can best support them in the moment. This was such an empowering and insightful conversation and I encourage you to tune in and take on board all of Tania’s wisdom and experience into your own practice. LINKS Where to find Tania Fragoso: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tania_thegratefuldoula/ [https://www.instagram.com/tania_thegratefuldoula/]Website: https://www.thegratefuldoula.nl/ [https://www.thegratefuldoula.nl/] Where you can find us: Our website: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers If you'd like to become a member you can sign up here [http://www.birthphotographers.com/join]!

Intuition and power in birth with Lindsay Askins

I am so excited to welcome Lindsay Askins onto the podcast today. Lindsay is a professional birth photographer, home birth and postpartum doula. Educated in animal science, she worked as a veterinary technician for a decade and later taught high school science. Spot of Serendity was launched in 2010 with a focus on capturing military homecomings for couples and families. After Lindsay became a mother in 2012, her work organically shifted into pregnancy, birth, and caring for mothers in the postpartum period. Her first home birth was transformative and fuels her passion for birth advocacy. Lindsay believes the majority of perinatal mood disorders and other symptoms of birth trauma can be prevented by educating families on the pitfalls of obstetrics and modern birth. Our conversation touches on some really beautiful perspectives - both for birthing mothers and birth photographers. We discuss the importance of feeling safe when birthing and the importance of listening to our intuition. Lindsay is passionate about empowering women to make all the decisions around their birth so that they can retain their power. Lindsay discusses the simple truth that all mammalian birth (ours included) progresses best in calm, dark, private environments. This awareness has altered her approach to birth photography. Linday’s approach is incredibly inspiring. She reminds us how important it is to allow ourselves the space to work through our own traumas and discomfort with empathy and grace. She has learnt over the years that being comfortable in your own true lane is the best energy you can bring to a birthing space.This was a really powerful conversation which I know you’re going to get a lot out of, so dive in. LINKS Where to find Lindsay Askins: Instagram: @spotofserendipity [https://www.instagram.com/spotofserendipity/?hl=en]Website: https://www.spotofserendipity.com/ [https://www.spotofserendipity.com/] Where you can find us: Our website: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers [https://birthphotographers.com/] If you'd like to become a member you can sign up here [http://birthphotographers.com/join/]!

Advocating for trauma informed birth care and maternal mental health with Paulina Splechta

I am truly delighted to be speaking with Paulina Splechta today, a passionate advocate for women with a deep understanding of working in the birth photography industry. Paulina is a full time on call birth photographer based in South Florida and fell in love with being a birth story teller after photographing her first birth in 2014. As a young mother, Paulina started out photographing her friends with their babies in the park, which led into lifestyle, maternity and breastfeeding photography. This eventually opened the door to her passion work - birth photography. As a passionate human rights advocate, Paulina studied criminal justice in college. Although a far cry from what she does now, the same threads of advocacy, justice and communication are woven into her role as a birth photographer. In this honest and open conversation, Paulina shares her story - what led her into birth photography, what drives her to continue in the industry and how her own traumatic birth and postpartum experiences fuelled the fire in her belly to advocate for women before, during and after birth. Paulina talks about being a highly sensitive person and how this is her superpower to be able to deeply understand the emotional landscape of childbirth. We discuss some of the issues surrounding maternal mental health and the need for education about how trauma plays into birth. We also talk about being honest on social media, why this is so important for the industry as a whole and so much more. I know you’re going to get so much out of this conversation and love Paulina’s fiery and dynamic spirit. LINKS Where to find Paulina Splechta: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psplechta_birthphotography/ [https://www.instagram.com/psplechta_birthphotography/]Website: https://www.paulinasplechta.com/ [https://www.paulinasplechta.com/] Where you can find us: Our website: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers If you'd like to become a member you can sign up here!

Connecting with your inner knowing and being informed for birth with Orsolya Elek

Today we welcome Orsolya Elek, a Hungarian birth photographer living in France. Orsolya’s personal journey into motherhood led her to specialise in maternity and birth photography as well as doula work. She firmly believes in the power of images to change the social norms around birth photography and parenthood. Orsolya studied photojournalism and contemporary art but it wasn’t until after her first birth that she came to birth photography. She shares with us that having her first child raised many questions for her about values, how to be and connect in society and what she should do with her life. After working with a coach she came to birth photography and doula work as a vocation. We know that birth photography is powerful, and Orsolya shares the ways that having a record of birth can be a potent way to connect across generations. She explains transgenerational transmission and how knowing and sharing birth stories across a family’s history can give us power and knowledge. Orsolya shares with us what she understands an empowered birth experience to be like for parents and how deep listening to your own intuition and inner knowledge is vital. Being informed is a cornerstone of Orsolya’s approach and she encourages us to understand our rights and the things we can do to make birth our own experience. This is a really juicy conversation that shines a light on the overlooked and unacknowledged parts of birth, pregnancy and postpartum. Orsolya has a beautiful way of looking at the world and I know your journey into or through parenthood will be made all the richer after listening to this conversation. LINKS Where to find Orsolya Elek: Instagram: @orsolya.elek.photographieFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrsolyaElekPhotographie/ [https://www.facebook.com/OrsolyaElekPhotographie/] Where you can find us: Our website: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers If you'd like to become a member you can sign up here!