MANILA, Philippines - The greatest story ever told is the story of our lives. And for most of us, that story is being told through pictures.
Technology has made it easy not only to share these pictures but also to take them. Almost every cellphone manufactured today has a camera in it. That little bit of technology has transformed us into overnight amateur photographers.
This is how we tell our stories. In color. In black and white. In Instagram. But what separates us from a photographer like Polly Fong is the manner in which the story is told. Take a look at her album on Facebook and you’ll see how she elevates storytelling to an art. (www.facebook.com/ohhappybirths)
With Oh Happy Day Birth Photography, Polly tells your child’s birth story through candid and emotional pictures. Photographing real moments as they unfold, unscripted and unrehearsed, she is able to capture your story from the unique perspective of her lens.
“Having gone through childbirth myself and also being a parent, I think those are the factors that allow me to recognize what moments are worth immortalizing in situations like these,” Polly says. “Well, that and the fact that I’m just an emotional person who’s easily drawn to tears in general. In that sense, this job is perfect for me. I have an emotional eye!”
Looking through Polly’s photos, I noticed that there truly is a range of emotions — from the awww-inducing images of a mother kissing her newborn for the first time, to humorously mundane ones like a dad brushing his teeth by the hospital bed.
Polly explains, “Aside from capturing baby’s first hours, I find it just as important to capture the character of the family. After all, they make the story.”
She reiterates that she tries her best to shoot everything that the client requests for, but more than that, she captures the birth story as it naturally unfolds. “Every birth is different. In some cases, the story unfolds as a documentary of baby’s firsts — measurements, footprints, tests, the first bath. In other cases, it becomes about family meeting baby, especially in families with an older child meeting his baby brother/sister for the first time. Each story is unique.”
During the delivery of Polly’s firstborn, she too had a photographer to capture the delivery — her cousin who is a nurse, and luckily, also a photography hobbyist. She says knowing that vulnerable feeling of being photographed while giving birth is what enables her to empathize with her clients. She knows where to position herself so that the pregnant mother doesn’t feel too conscious, and remains careful not to inconvenience any doctors or medical staff as they do their job.
“The last thing I would want is for the couple to feel uncomfortable at their own delivery. The safety of the mother and the child are top priority, so I stay out of the doctor’s way. I have to be unobtrusive when I shoot, yet very sensitive to what’s going on around me. If a situation calls for it, I will put the camera down,” says Polly.
Her client’s comfort level is very important to her. Given the intimacy of childbirth, Polly wants clients to meet her first before booking with her. “It can’t be easy to welcome someone you just met into your birthing experience. Labor and delivery are hard enough without a photographer around. It’s important that clients meet me first before they book. And even when they’ve booked already, they may change their mind at the last minute and that’s okay. Every person feels differently about their own child’s birthing process. I am always respectful of that.”
Polly recognizes that birth photography is not for everybody. “Giving birth is a very private experience.” In spite of that, she has been happily surprised at the response to her new endeavor. “Birth photography is widely accepted in the US, but is a new idea here. Thankfully, people have been supportive. I’ve had mothers come up to me and say that they wish the service existed when they were giving birth to their older kids. It may not be for everyone, but there is a market and I’m happy to offer it to those who appreciate what I’m trying to do.”
In fact, birth photography has been around for some time, just not here. “I discovered it two years ago when I was pregnant with my son and was looking for interesting ways to document my belly bump. That’s how I came across birth photographers in the US. I was so moved to tears by their pictures, and I’m sure it wasn’t just my pregnant hormones acting up.”
Listening to Polly explain the birth photography process makes me think of the challenge of such an occupation. Once she is booked by a client, she is on-call 24/7 within one to two weeks of the due date, much like a doctor. And once she’s at the birthing venue, she stays for as long as it takes.
Why not just leave the picture-taking to the dads? “Having a birth photographer around gives dads a chance to not only be part of the pictures, but more importantly, to be totally immersed in the experience. They can be with the moms instead of having to worry about handling a camera.”
We hire photographers for the most important moments of our lives. The birth of your child may be the most important one of them all. Tell your story and tell it beautifully.
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E-mail Oh Happy Day Photography at ohdbirths@gmail.com.
E-mail the author at boboyconsunji@gmail.com