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MOUNT PLEASANT MILLS — Birth photographer Megan Angstadt-Williams’s first paid booking ended up being a sort of baptism by fire: a home delivery with more than 17 hours of labor that culminated in the baby having breathing problems and the mother and child being transferred by ambulance to the hospital. Still, both Angstadt-Williams and the new parents were glad she was there.

“The midwives were amazing. Everyone was calm, cool and collected,” Angstadt-Williams said. “I just continued to document and do my thing.”

Mother and baby were fine, and she eventually documented another birth for the couple.

Although she’s only been doing birth photography for a little more than two years, Angstadt-Williams had two winning images. “Liminal Space” earned a Bronze Award and “Skin to Skin” placed in the top 20 percent of the entries in the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP) 2023 Birth Photography Competition.

“It was a little mind-blowing,” she said of winning awards in an international competition that she entered on the spur of a moment. “It was a great honor.”

“The annual competition by IAPBP celebrates the beauty of birth and the skill of birth photographers around the globe in four main categories — birth details, labor, delivery, and postpartum. New this year are four subcategories: black & white, documentary, fine art, and hardship & loss,” said an IAPBP press release. “We are incredibly proud of the entrants of this year’s competition because in spite of all we endured in our community in recent years, this contest represents the resistance birth photographers have to overcome unforeseen challenges.”

To see Angstadt-Williams’s award-winning photos, visit https://birthphotographers.com/2022-birth-photography-image-competition/.

While some might shy away from documenting their birthing experience, Angstadt-Williams’s clients are happy they hired her.

“I absolutely adore Megan,” said Christiana Delk, of Kulpmont, Angstadt-Williams’s first client.

Delk recalled a particular photo taken from above the birthing pool while her husband’s arms were wrapped around her. When she saw the picture, she was amazed.

“I didn’t even notice Megan doing it. She has such a calming presence. I had no idea she was there most of the time,” Delk said. “She’s absolutely incredible. She’s kind of like a wallflower, blending in with the background. She is a great fit in a birth space.”

Briana Chasen, of Bloomsburg, hired Angstadt-Williams as both her birth photographer and certified birthing doula last October.

“She did an absolutely phenomenal job,” Chasen said. “She was amazing. I didn’t even notice her taking photos. I knew she was there, but I never noticed a flash. I’m still speechless. We told her we would have her back for every birth. She’s special to the family.”

Why do it?

Angstadt-Williams firmly believes everyone should have a professional birth photographer to document their babies entering the world. She is honored when clients trust her to share in such a personal event and enjoys seeing her clients’ expressions when they review the photos and remember their experiences through a different lens.

“People are so focused during labor, they don’t know what’s going on around them. It can be empowering to see how powerful they looked while going through it,” she said.

She finds beauty in the struggle of birthing, the fact that it hurts and is hard to do. She firmly believes that birth is not taboo or pornographic and hopes that photos like the “raw and uncensored images that received recognition” in the contest can be normalized as part of life.

“It can be scary, but people do it anyway, over and over again,” she said, explaining how birth brings blood and messiness along with a living being. “Blood is bringing new life into the world. It shouldn’t be a taboo topic. It’s not gross. It’s just another aspect of people’s lives.”

Considering that everyone must experience birth and death, perhaps it’s not surprising that she is also drawn toward Bereavement Photography, capturing the few precious moments parents can share with a deceased newborn.

“It’s just a gut kind of feeling. This is what I was meant to be doing, especially the niche bereavement work,” she said. “I feel like there is such a need for it. In these situations, people won’t get to see their baby again. It can be really healing to have those photos.”

Beyond birthing and bereavement, she also does all sessions that relate to parenthood, including maternity, birth, newborn and family. She likes to take lifestyle photos of families — let the kitchen counter be covered with baby bottles and the living room carpet strewn with toys. These photos preserve a true-to-life moment that will one day bring back tender memories.

When Angstadt-Williams takes on a new client she agrees to get to them as quickly as possible when their birthing process begins. However, she recalled one time when she got the call, was in her car within 10 minutes, and still arrived to find the parents cradling their minutes-old babe.

“I just walked in, and there they all were,” she said with a smile. “I was still able to document all those post-partum events.”

Another time she photographed a surrogate mother giving birth for the adoptive mother.

“That was really touching,” she said, adding after some thought, “Each birth has these special moments. It’s hard to pick a favorite.”

For more information, visit http://www.badgerandquillphotography.com/.

Cindy O. Herman lives in Snyder County. Email comments to her at CindyOHerman@gmail.com.

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