In this video, Suzanne and Erik talk about their experience with birth photography. Why did they choose this? What do the photos mean to them and was it worth the investment?
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Why did you choose birth photography?
Suzanne: We chose this because I often hear people around me say, well, it’s such a haze that passes you by and you don’t know exactly what happened. You just want to know for yourself what happens in all those hours that you experience so intensely. So yes to just to be able to look back on it.
Erik: And on top of that, I also wanted to give my full attention to my wife and also not burden the care staff to ask to take pictures. So all of that together was the reason for choosing birth photography.
How did you come upon birth photography?
Erik: The moment she got pregnant you start talking about certain things and you also start talking to friends about childbirth that they then went through and about what they regretted.One of the things they regretted was that they didn’t have good photos and films and that got me but also Su thinking and that basically started a process where we started looking for more information about birth photography.
Suzanne: My first thought though was of someone there that you don’t know at all and such an intimate moment. But look all the healthcare personnel around it you don’t know either. So it’s 1 more person so in the end that hasn’t been an objection for me. But if you had asked me a year ago; would you ever do that? I would have said no. At that point I really thought well what nonsense, you don’t do that. But then when you are expecting and the delivery is getting closer and closer and you start to get more and more involved. Then suddenly comes that feeling that you think yes I do want it to be captured well and beautifully.
Describe what value the photos have to you.
Erik: The value of the photos cannot be captured in words. I have seen the pictures back several times now including the film. It is a reliving of the day. And the day has been very intense but also very beautiful. Only the beautiful side of the story you actually see only in the photos and on film.
Suzanne: What I find very valuable is that you see very well what happens between the two of us. You never see that yourself, of course. And you only see that in those pictures. Afterwards, the hospital staff then said: you are a very good team. And in the photos, that is exactly what you see. And you would never have seen that without those pictures yourself. So I find that very valuable. And also that his first cry and that is all recorded also in sound. How many years from now, that will still be something you just want to see again and that will take you back to those exciting but also very beautiful moments.
Erik: And what I also think is a plus is that the process of capturing was initiated at a fairly early point in the day. So we captured the moment from minimal dilation to birth and also afterwards on film and photoAnd that whole reportage, again, I think is very valuable to have.
Can you describe your experience with Hello Baby in 3 words?
Erik: Professional, discreet but also friendly. And that combination makes the whole reportage captured in a very natural way, at least from my perspective.
Suzanne: Of all the pictures that were taken, I actually didn’t notice 1 time that they were taken. And in retrospect, that surprised me a lot. That I saw the pictures back, I thought to myself; how is it possible that this picture was taken without me noticing. and Settia just does that very well. You just don’t notice that she’s there and therefore you don’t have to deal with it at all and that was really nice.
Was it worth the investment?
Suzanne: In the beginning, I did have doubts about whether it was worth the investment, because it’s quite a significant amount of money that you obviously spend on, in my mind, a few photos. But in retrospect that amount you paid for it , you don’t really even think about that anymore. And when you also see how many hours Settia spends on that and also afterwards and in putting the album together, how well you can communicate with each other on that and that you make sure that really in the end there’s a product that you’re really very happy with, it’s more than worth the money.
What do you think of the final result?
Suzanne: I really thought the result was beyond expectations. Of course I have seen pictures on social media, but then when they are pictures of yourself it is actually even more beautiful and intense than when you see someone else’s. We actually got three photos the day after Settia gave birth just as a preview. Then you actually already know this is already actually worth the money. Those three pictures were already so beautiful. I thought it was really overwhelming. And we showed it to a few people very close to us we showed it too and they were really speechless as well.
