In the photography world, there are few fields more intense and emotionally demanding as birth photography. You’re responsible for capturing a baby’s first moments of life and a couple’s first moments of parenthood. And in order to be there for those moments, you have to make adjustments in your own life. It’s taxing, it’s demanding, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

In this episode, I’m chatting with birth photographer and photography educator Tavia Redburn about balancing her personal life and mental health with an emotionally demanding business. Tavia is sharing her process for communicating with clients and making arrangements for births. She’s explaining how she plans for and prices her services, and she’s also sharing her advice for protecting your energy while photographing such intense, emotional moments.

What’s in this episode:

• Tavia’s unconventional path to becoming a birth photographer and photography educator [2:07]
• How to balance your personal life and family’s needs with a birth photography business [3:33]
• What happens when a birth doesn’t go as planned [6:09]
• How to best communicate with your local hospitals and birth community [8:05]
• How to protect your energy and take care of yourself in a high-intensity field [9:50]
• Tavia’s stories from your career as a birth photographer [14:30]
• How Tavia communicates with her family and childcare when births take longer than expected [16:00]
• Tavia’s advice for shooting in terrible hospital lighting [16:41]
• How to plan for a birth and what to do if you miss a birth [18:01]
• Tavia’s funniest and most fun birth experiences [20:59]
• How to price yourself for profit and sustainability in an emotionally taxing field [23:40]

If you’re curious about the life of a birth photographer, tune into this episode.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/the-beauty-of-birth-the-art-business-heart-of-birth-photography-with-tavia-redburn/

Reserve your spot for the 2022 Online Newborn Photography Retreat: https://themilkyway.ca/2022-newborn-retreat/