A Home Birth in Taipei | Documentary Birth Photography

I often say that birth is one of my favorite family stories to photograph. Not only is it a raw, intimate, beautiful story that’s perfectly suited to documentary-style photography (can you imagine someone trying to pose during a contraction?), but it’s also an event that can’t be repeated and where EVERYONE tells me they wish they had more photos. I get that for many (and I would have been in this category once upon a time), it sounds sort of weird to bring in a photographer for a birth. But birth is funny in that it’s one of the most pivotal, transformative experiences of our lives and our brains tend to gloss over and forget the details. I would give anything to have more photos of my kids’ births, and there’s no going back or using AI to recreate them.

When I say I wish I had more photos (or any photos) of my kids’ births, I’m not talking about a close-up image of crowning and them actually being born. I’m talking about the first breath, first look, first touch. The becoming of us as parents and a family. Birth photography can capture many different layers of this story of becoming; it doesn’t have to capture every detail of the physical process for those who aren’t interested in having that documented.

The photos below (a bit more on the anonymous side, per this family’s request; I’ll never share photos without express permission first) are from a midwife-attended home birth in Taipei. It was a privilege to be there. If you’d like me to document your birth story, more information can be found here. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to look through my birth photography guide and if you have any questions. =)