BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY: CELEBRATING life’s most special MOMENTS

Words by Carolyn Lillehaugen

Portrait by Kensie Wallner Photography

Birth Photography by Lindsay Kaye Photography

In 2013, Lindsay’s professional life added another dimension. While doing online research preparing for the birth of their first child, Lindsay and her husband Patrick learned of birth photography. As Lindsay explains, “I knew I wanted to always remember that day, so we searched for a photographer who would record the event of our baby’s birth.” As an organized expectant mom, Lindsay had dreamed of and planned for how the birth would go. However, as it happens for many parents, not everything went according to plan. Just moments after Lindsay’s first opportunity to hold her baby, newborn Connor was quickly whisked away to the NICU for additional support with breathing. Lindsay is truly grateful for the pictures the photographer was able to capture during those early moments of Connor’s life.

Now, as a birth photographer herself, Lindsay helps other families remember and share their birth story. According to Lindsay, “It is a privilege to be invited into that space to witness the miracle of birth.” Always mindful of the need for privacy and focus of the laboring mom, and respectful of the need for medical personnel to have space to do their job, Lindsay is non-intrusive as she captures video and still photographs. As one of her clients, Molly Orcutt, recalls, “Lindsay provided both support and reassurance, and I was so glad that we had her on our team. We treasure the memories that Lindsay captured for our family and hope that she will continue to be a part of our lives for years to come.” Another client, Caitlin Lynch, describes how having Lindsay photograph the home birth of their daughter helped to capture that transformative and empowering time. “We have gorgeous and powerful images both to cherish now and to share with our daughter when she is older. Though birth photography wasn’t in our budget, we are so glad we decided to make that choice. The images are truly priceless.”

Because of the unpredictability of births, Lindsay is “on call” for her clients during the last couple of weeks of pregnancy. Once she gets the phone call, she tries to arrive as the mom is transitioning into the active stage of labor, and stays until the baby is about one hour old. Sometimes the images she captures reveal moments the parents didn’t even realize had happened. Another client, Jessica Shawn, expresses her appreciation for Lindsay’s work, “It was incredible to see the birth of our baby from another vantage point. Lindsay captured our daughter’s C-section birth with beautiful images that we will love forever.”

Capturing memories and emotions for people is Lindsay Kaye Arbach’s passion. To learn more about birth photography or schedule an appointment for a consultation go to lindsay-kaye.com