Shutter Sisters

The Beginning of Being

By

“What am I doing?” I whispered to myself.

I don’t even know what all the buttons do on my camera and yet there I stood in the corner of the room while she gave life to a person. I felt totally unqualified to capture such an event, but I couldn’t stop clicking and soaking in all the magic before me.

We watched her every move. She was deep in her work, working her way through every contraction, every doubt. I kept shooting, he rubbed her back, we waited and hoped we were doing it right. Somewhere in the midst of struggle, we discover the knowing. She knows how to bring life. He knows how to believe in her. The baby knows how to be born. I know how to hold that moment. Forever.

We all take our place, it is the beginning of being.

Where is your place to be today?  What moment are you holding in your lens?  What beginning do you want to honor?  The comments are all yours today, and special thanks to birth photographer Patience Salgado for being our guest.

Comments

  6. I’m celebrating an anniversary of my blog. It’s amazing to look back over the past year and realize how much has happened, how beautiful and full life was the past 365 days. I’ve grown as a photographer so greatly… From the small town girl who moved to the city clicking her tiny point-and-shoot every which way, to a city girl with her dslr studying and looking for the perfect moments to capture… the ones that someone else may not see, the ones that remind you instantly of the moment that was caught. In celebration of the last year, and my growth as a photographer, I’m also giving away a print (which will be the first print I will have given away since I realized just how much I Love photography).

    http://aliandsethinthecity.blogspot.com/2009/06/1-year-giveaway.html

    I’m also hoping for a chance at a new beginning tonight… something that would change my life for the better, something that would probably make me pinch myself to see if I’m actually awake and breathing. Any positive thoughts you’d like to send my way will be sweetly taken 🙂

  9. it’s amazing isnt’ it? an experience i will never forget. i was asked to photograph a friend’s homebirth last year and it was one of the most powerful moments of my life. it helped me process my own homebirth in new ways and remember the strength of human spirit.

    thanks for this today, for this remembering. this is what i’ll carry with me today.

  17. Oh sooo cool. I saw this shot on flickr just 2 days ago and now … here! LOVE it.

  19. wow patience! i just looked at the entire set of this little one’s beginning and they tell such a gorgeous and truthfull story! you do wonderful work!

  21. What a powerful image!!

    A new beginning for me is that just today I’ve been offered a photo job. My first "real" photo job. An incredible cafe/restaurant wants me to photo their awesome food for their website! I’ve never done anything like this before, but they have seen some of my photos on Flickr and love my work! It’s a great opportunity and I’m very grateful.

  22. Such moving photos — gave me goosebumps. Beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing them and for your honesty (I wonder if I’ll ever figure out all the buttons on my camera!). You inspire me and have given me that little nudge I need to just go for it! xoxo, ~ M.

  25. Those are amazing birth pictures!!! I am actually contemplating offering to be a birth photographer, I would love to be doing that! Birth is so amazingly powerful!

    I’ll have to ponder this question…

  27. Incredible capture! I love that you say you feel "unqualified" to capture that event. I comletely identify with that feeling when it comes to capturing special moments in other people’s lives. Thank you for sharing this post! It is very helpful and reassuring as I start my own little photography venture: http://www.redballmoon.com

  34. what a cool experience. thank you for sharing.

    i’m at the beginning of me right now and it’s a very hard place to be.

  36. What an amazing, emotionally-charged image. You have a great gift and there is some wonderful photography here on this site. Thank you so much for sharing this with the rest of us…

  37. This post – photo & words – brought tears to my eyes… How precious we are in our knowing, yet not-knowing.
    xox

  38. this photograph totally has me in tears.

    i’m welcoming the beginning of belonging. it’s quite a journey. but i’m holding the open space & letting trust carry me.

    thank you for this beautiful post & peek into an incredible moment.

  40. Thank You for sharing!
    This made me cry.
    My son and his beautiful wife just gave birth [homebirth] to their beautiful daughter Rosa so I am discovering the beginnings of being someone special to another special someone. I’m now Nana, what an honour. I smile to myself when I think of all the special beginnings Rosa and I will share.

  46. When I was 9 I dreamt of being a Life Magazine photographer–for I loved the emotion their pictures spawned.
    This picture of the passion in the birthing process is phenominal.
    Breathtaking.
    Heartbreaking.
    Life changing.

    This is what life is about.

    Kat