I had been waiting all day for the call. My birth client went into the hospital at 5 am to begin the induction process. Usually, I wait until mom reaches about 6 centimeters before I leave for the hospital, and with an early morning induction, it ranges between about 1-4pm, but at 6pm that night, she still had not progressed. I checked in with Dad, and he told me that they had "backed off the pitocin level a bit because they didn't like her levels."
Then at 8pm my phone rang and he said, "They are taking her in for a C-section right now." I asked quickly, "Emergency C?" "Yes," and we hung up. I jumped in my car and got there as fast as I could.

I knew they were not going to let me into the OR but I knocked on the door of the delivery room area and checked with the nurse just in case and she directed me to the waiting room where I met 4 nervous grandparents, 2 aunts and a 6 year old cousin.
After about 20 minutes, a nurse came out and waived me over. She walked with me to...

Ashley Diamond Siegert, CPP Cr. Photog

It's no secret that Birth Photography is one of the hottest trends in the market. While it is an INCREDIBLE way to build your business, I'll be honest, it's not for everyone.

Here are a few things to consider if you are thinking about adding Births to your product line.

1. Why do you want to be a birth photographer? What about births appeals to you? Is it the miracle of life? Photojournalism and story telling? Knowing your "why" will help you craft your marketing message, and help you through some long nights in the hospital.

2. Are you prepared to be on-call all of the time? Babies come when babies want to come. This may be in the middle of the work day, the middle of the night or the middle of your tropical vacation. While having a backup photographer can help you navigate your schedule, you need to be prepared to have your gear packed and ready in your car during your next night out with your honey bunny.

3. Do you have support at...