It’s taken me quite some time to pull this post together. I’ve had mixed emotions about sharing something so personal belonging to my clients, but they asked me to when they saw them and I feel like sharing something different today.
I had never really thought so much about photographing a birth until I was asked by my two beautiful friends. I was worried I would be in the way, that their memories would be of me and my camera and not of the birth of their first child and also selfishly, that it might put me off having my own children… I wasn’t, they aren’t and it didn’t.
I was the first person to ever take a photograph of this human being. Hello, Elijah.
http://caughtthelight.com/category/portraits-and-engagements/
I know he can’t really see but at four minutes old, he looked straight at me.
Kristina, you have never been more beautiful than you were on 21st January at 7.09am. You know that I am in total awe of you both and that I’m so grateful to have been asked to be there with you, camera in hand. You are simply incredible, made of the most inspiring things and I love you very much.
I’m away this week for a couple of days, spending time with my ma and sister. It’s times like these that reaffirm just how special a family is.
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Oh, so beautiful. I can't look too hard or I'll cry and I don't have time to cry right now.
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This is just the most beautiful Chloe. What a privilege to share such special moments. I love the B&W too.
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Absolutely beautiful and amazing.
Giving birth and the arrival of new life are both so incredible. What an honour to have been there to capture these very special photographs. x -
Wow! What a beautiful thing to capture and be a part. You should be really proud of yourself for creating some amazing images that your friends can treasure forever.
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Chloe, these are so beautiful. You have actually brought tears to my eyes, which very rarely happens! They will treasure these. I have always wanted to have it photographed if I ever have a baby. These pictures convince me even more. X
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These photos are so beautiful, Chloe... What a very special and precious moment to photograph! I'm struggling to find the right words to describe how I feel after seeing these images, but I think it's something like content, warm and fuzzy))
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Wow, Chloé. These are so beautiful. It is an incredible time and having a photographic record of it is something more people should do. Stunning x (Congrats to the happy family!)
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Just amazing xx
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These are incredible images captured beautifully.
What a wonderful gift you have given this family. -
Really beautiful, Chloe. I love a good home waterbirth! Elijah is completely gorgeous.
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I'm pretty much speechless. Such a beautiful event captured.
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Wow. Pretty much speechless. Such a beautiful event captured.
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Simply amazing ... What an absolute privilege to be able to photograph such an intimate moment, but you have captured it perfectly. I am in awe - considering as I assume that this is a subset of the photographs you actually provided to them, you have caught such a beautiful event - beautifully. I can only imagine how much they love these. xx
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I'm speechless. With tears in my eyes. Simply beautiful x
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Beautifully captured, some how the mono works so well.
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so glad you shared these, they are beautiful, you did a great job, such sensitivity. This will be a gift in years to come, I wish I had more photos taken at my births.
I hope I get to photograph a birth myself sometime soon. x. -
If ever there was a blog post that made me shed a tear it would be this one but I'm really holding back. Stunning Chloe. Don't know how you were able to hold it together to take such emotional photos. Superb lady!
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Wow Chloe I had no idea what I would think looking at these but they are simply beautiful . Such a touching story I love them. Couldn't have u as my wedding photographer but want u as my birth photographer now please.....x x x
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I'm all choked up. So moving and so beautifully captured.
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This has just made me cry, of course.
There is nothing more beautiful, more heavenly than being able to birth a child in to this world and to have that child to hold and love as your own.
That moment of birth and the hours leading up to it and immediately after it are intensely moving, and bring humans together on a scale that is incomparable really. You have done such a beautiful job of showing this via photography.
Wow.... just so beautiful
xXx -
This is just so beautiful Chloe, it brings back our experiences with Reuben almost a year ago now-it really was out of this world and no words can describe it, but I think your images have done it perfectly. x
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Oh my. How utterly fabulous. That brought tears - I have work to do, how cruel! You have captured a truly beautiful moment, beautifully. Am in awe (of mum, dad, baby and you! x)
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I have to be honest. I wasn't expecting to be moved.
But these images are so delicate but powerful.
The last picture of a mother looking snuggling in blankets looking at her first born. So special. -
Totally beautiful. What an amazing thing to have photos like these to look back on. I think I have something in my eye...
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So moving - how incredible to be asked to share such a precious time. I'd live to have a birth story & be able to look back over it. You covered it really beautifully x
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wow these are just beautiful. Really took my breath away and I don't quite know what to say!
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Wow Chloe. Giving birth is such a special moment and I can truly feel and remember the emotions here by looking at your photographs. I love the one where mum is staring at Elijah's face for the first time. So moving. Thank you for sharing ;-)
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I remember the panic at 4:30am when you received the call and I also remember how you beamed with excitement when you arrived home. Absolutely beautiful!
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Thank you lovely.... you made me cry all over again! So glad you agreed to be there and tell our story. love you. Craig, Kiki and Eli xxx
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Oh my goodness! I have tears spiking in my eyes. This is just so beautiful. Your friends have a treasured record of emotions and meaning from probably the most significant day of their lives! how wonderful.
Dana x -
Beautiful, simply beautiful.
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I've never seen something special like this.. I'm speechless!
Thank you for sharing this with us... -
Wow!! These are such beautiful, powerful images! I am due in 4 weeks now and these photos have made me all the more excited!! x
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What a beautiful and incredibly moving set of pictures and what a wonderful thing to have been part of! They will absolutely treasure these. Beautiful Chloe x
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Ahhh wow, I'm completely mesmerised by these images. Such quiet intimacy and beauty. Beautiful work. And Elijah is utterly gorgeous!
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Ok so I cried when I saw Kristina's pics and now you made me cry all over again!! so so beautiful , fab job Chloe darling xx
ps. i get to see them all next week and give Eli a squeeze!! -
::sobbing:: very nice chloe, good angles, very emotional indeed. nothing like family.
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wow - beautiful
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Wow these are really special
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AMAZING!!!!!!
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Beautiful, emotional Mum kissing baby 'Hello' in the pool. Just beautiful xx
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Oh, wow! Such intimate images. Really special.
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This is absolutely beautiful. I found your site through Joy Thigpen's tweet and this is such a lovely capture of what I imagine to be the most special day of their lives. Beautiful.
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Oh the LOVE! What a special and inspiring moment that has been shared, thank you to the Mum & Dad & of course photographer. ps. Chloe he is so looking at you :)
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shew, what an incredibly beautiful post. i love these very special photos ..
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these are all beautiful but #07...oh my word!!! I can't look at it without tearing up.
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Chloe I was privileged to be at the birth of my great niece 4 years ago yesterday. It is without doubt the most magical moment of anyone's life and you have caught it so beautifully. Thank your friends for letting us share in this wonderful moment of their lives .
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Unbelievable in so many ways. It is what it is, absolutely beautiful in it's honesty of an incredible moment in life and yet you managed to capture such incredible, intense photos so silently. The photo as she softly kisses him on the cheek, the first glimpse of a mother's love and as he's passed out of the bath, two hands so delicately left behind, drops of water falling off his little body. Absolutely breathtaking. What an immense privelege, I can only imagine the joy these photos bring them. I hope I get to document such a beautiful experience one day.
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I am totally blown away by these images - amazing!
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Oh wow - what an amazing set of photos :) and such an honour to do - an incredibly beautiful moment captured sensitively and perfectly...gorgeous! x
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holy, amazing ....
im in tears and speechless -
These are incredible. We're 6.5 months pregnant and I want something just like these to capture that moment. They almost made me cry. In a good way x
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ps. just linked to this post from my blog, hope that was ok. I keep coming back to it. It's so beautiful x
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You have captured the moment so perfectly - these photos are beyond beautiful. I can only imagine how happy the parents must be to have these images that they will cherish forever.
Bises from Paris
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oh wow just stunning! Births are the best to photograph!! Beautiful work!
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Wow, that is something extraordinary. You captured these moments beautifully.
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Beautiful :)
And guess what?! He *was* actually looking at you! Newborns can see pretty clearly for about 12-16"or the perfect distance to see a face from the breast :)
Nature is wonderful! -
iam proud of you both and congratulations both of you, welcome to the beautiful world baby angel, God Bless you all...CONGRATULATIONS!!!
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Hello, this blog was shared by my midwife on Facebook and it brought tears to eyes. I video taped my water birth and had a few pictures taken but these are beautiful. Thank you for sharing and making this special moment even more memorable.
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Tout simplement superbe =) !
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Absolutely fantastic; Chloé! this will remain I am sure as one of your most cherished moments as a photographer!!!!
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Some stunning images here, please look at our competition and enter a few, special deals on and great prizes every week.
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So beautiful, thank you for sharing these!
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Wonderful natural Images
cara @ lillian and leonard said: