33 Emotional Photos That Won The 2024 Birth Photography Image Competition

Sam, this beautiful doggy, had spent the whole evening by his Mama's side as she laboured. He even sat next to the birth pool, with the occasional cry and woof but mostly resting his head on the pool as he sensed the shift in the atmosphere. As this beautiful baby arrived, acceptance was instant. With sniffs and kisses. As his Mama lay on the settee with his new big sister just after delivering the placenta, I turned around to find him looking with so much love at his newest family member. It was a split second moment but in that second the amount of love in those eyes was so palpable I almost cried on the spot!

With a sigh of relief, she picked up her daughter - still covered in vernix - and held her close to her.

A father and a grandfather bearing the unbelievable weight of grief and loss

This snapshot was the very last picture I took after a long and tiring home birth and I only just realised at home what this newborn girl was "telling" us.

This family welcomed their first baby at home and labored all through the night and their son was born just as the sun crested the mountains

A previous loss for this family meant the birth of this baby would be celebrated with pronounced enthusiasm, especially between this tightly bonded daughter and her mother, now a grandmother.

For this photo, you have to look twice to see what's happening. The mother is giving birth on her hands and knees, and the baby's head has just been born. Without the mirror, I couldn't have captured this moment.

This little boy stole all our hearts. His heart for his laboring mama was the most precious thing to witness. He was concerned, yet wise beyond his years. Despite only being 4 yrs old, he knew to keep his touch gentle and his voice quiet, but would bring lego flowers to her that could get wet, or kiss her hand when her eyes were closed. He was a gentle giant that gave her strength in the most impactful way when she needed it. Here he was waving his "wand" to take her pain away!

A grandmother holds her grandchild, born sleeping, while looking at her son. She feels the pain of missing her grandchild and also carries to pain of her child losing his baby.

After a beautiful c-section, the belly is being closed, mom is feeling fine and dad is getting to know his baby girl.

A beautiful calm breech birth. They expected her bum to come first, but whoop, there were two little feet!

I love how this mom paused to admire and appreciate the beauty of the sac that protected her baby for nine months. The baby boy was born en caul, coming into the world with the sac over his head and right into his mother's arms.

This mom's labor was only 15 minutes from first contraction until baby in her arms. I captured this as she was pulling up her beautiful 4th babe.

After having a surprise birth in the bathroom, Mom got into the birthing pool to relax and enjoy her first moment with her baby. Dad was infatuated with his baby boy and reached down to touch his hands. Their son then grabbed his finger and it was the perfect peaceful moment in the starry abyss of lights.

A repeat c-section, done on mom's terms. The drape dropped when her baby boy came into the world into the hands of the team she chose and trusted, she got to announce it was a boy, and she felt the empowerment of her birth, even though her baby boy was delivered into their hands, and not pulled into the world by her hands, she still felt the empowerment of her decisions and choices in a hard situation.

Upon meeting their newborn sister, the two daughters continue breastfeeding TANDEN, an act of surrender, completeness and connection between mother and daughters!