Nashville Family Photographer | Full Circle: Maternity, Birth, Newborn Photography + Videography For The Lush Family
Any time a client hires me to photograph their family or create a video of their family, I am BEYOND honored. I know that's cliche, but its also HONEST. But when a family hires me more than once a year (I have several who do!) its just a compounded emotion. I bond with my clients, its the perk of my job. We become friends. We chat parenting and exchange wisdom. Anytime Malary has had a baby, she has hired me for maternity, newborn, baby and family photography. Once I added film, she began to get films too... for newborn/family sessions... But now I offer birth videography and photography, so she added that 😂😂😂 Which was AMAZING.
When I'm with The Lush Family, I feel their bond - these boys are SO closely bonded. I feel their love and passion for raising a close knit family. I feel the power of a mother who is determined to have the best damn life together. I feel her sentimental nature and love for things meaningful.
I think I did a great job of creating films that brought them back to this very moment in time. What it was like during her labor and delivery (film will not be posted) and what it was like to have a newborn baby boy, baby #5. I think the boys will rewatch it and remember what it was like, too. Im starting to get emotional when Im with them, because her oldest is starting to morph into a teenager and I can see it is around the corner. I tell her to hold on to him, he is changing. Little Wyatt is almost gone, and in his place will be a man looking child 😂 Its a sad and beautiful transition.
Let's walk through The Lush Family sessions from this year.
Here is a sneak peek from Malary's Birth:
Newborn Film:
The Lush Family | June 2023 | Short Version from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.
Photos from their Newborn Family Photography and Film Session:
Nashville Birth Photographer + Videographer | The Birth of Josiah Shepherd
On Sunday, May 21st, I had the honor of filming and photographing the most gorgeous nighttime birth.
Malary was slightly passed due - which is her normal - She had gone to her son's baseball games that afternoon and contracted all the way through. That evening, her husband called me that things were moving fast. Given it's her fifth boy, I thought it could go very fast. I headed out around 8 pm and slightly sped the whole way. Her midwives - The Sara's - Sarah Fuqua and Sara Rosser - were there and ready.
When we got there, Malary was her usual self between contractions. Grabbing her kids for one last photo and managing everyone ?
After a bit, things got more and more intense. Between her husband and assisting midwife, she was managing pain well. Sarah rolled some oils on her back and helped her rock her hips which seemed to help a lot with her contractions. She got into the tub!
From there, things were frustrating for Malary. Baby wasn't coming out as quickly as we would expect. She had a lot of pain and was really expressing her frustration. They moved her to the bed and she was pushing VERY hard. Baby had shoulder dystocia and was kind of stuck, but thanks to amazing midwives, baby came out well! It was a hard delivery for Malary, but everything turned out beautifully.
Her Homebirth team rallied around her and helped her get comfortable and nursing right away. We all commented on this baby and how big he was. Malary said "ha! Michael's mom said he would be 10 lbs" and I said "we might wanna weigh him first!"
Sure enough, he was TEN POUNDS! her biggest baby yet!!!
You just never know how birth will go, even if you have had many babies!
Her birth film is remaining private, but is the BEST one I have ever created.
Here are a few images Malary was okay sharing.
I would LOVE to capture your home birth! Let's connect!
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The Birth of Beckham Ryan
I received Joy's call around 5 AM that it was time to head her way. She lives about 1 hour and 15 mins away from me. Im on the west side of Nashville and she lives east of nashville, so I had worried about traffic... but she went into labor at the most perfect time. No traffic at all. I drove during sunrise to meet her and her birth team at her home. This would be her 2nd home birth and 2nd newborn baby boy. Her country home is truly way out of town. Her beautiful farm house was so peaceful when I arrived, that I decided to include it in her birth film. The sun was coming up and the birds were chirping. It was such a peaceful morning - which ended up being a predictor of exactly how her birth atmosphere would be.Joy was laboring and her doula, Chelsey Fischer, was at her side when I arrived. Occasionally, her husband would swap places. Joy made little noise during this part of her laboring. She just has a quiet nature. You could feel the trust and knowing in the room. That things would be good and beautiful. The word I have used to describe Joy's birth has been PEACE. and I knew I had to find a song that really reflected that and helped you - the reader or viewer - feel that sense of peace we all felt in that room.Her midwives, Nova Birth Services, were there but giving her plenty of space to labor peacefully. They would check the baby's heart rate occasionally but mainly watched from a distance. I love midwives that just let birth do its thing. This was my first birth with Nova, and I really loved their vibe!During Joy's home birth, her older son was being fed and entertained by a sweet neighbor. But he did come into the room a few times and once to get a shower. I love capturing the entirety of the story. Capturing where he was during that time, him coming in to hug his momma between contractions. As well as him coming out of the shower. And then of course, we filmed him meeting his baby brother! He had the sweetest reaction.Joy began making some small noises and I knew something shifted. She delivered her new baby boy in just a few pushes and she had the most peaceful reaction to his birth. (I'm telling you - the word peace was there the entire time!)Afterwards, the midwives let her and baby just be for a while. Another beautiful part of home birth. They sat in the warm birth tub together and had their first nursing session while letting his cord pulse for a while. A first for me with this birth was the "floating placenta" where the placenta is placed in a little device and just floats in the tub with mom and baby.After some time, they cut the cord and daddy was able to hold Beckham for the first time. I love capturing this moment. He has been patiently watching and waiting and now he gets his moment of REALLY meeting his son for the first time! Such a magical moment.Then they transitioned Joy to the bed and she ate. They all hung out there for a while. And the midwives communicated that she could do that as long as she wanted. and then whenever she was ready, they would weigh baby and do the newborn exam. We all just kind of hung out together for a long time talking and laughing. I love home birth so much.If you are thinking about having your birth filmed and photographed, I would love to chat with you!
The Birth of Beckham Ryan | June 9, 2023 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.
4 Tips for Creating a Cozy and Relaxing Birth Space | Nashville Birth Photographer + Videographer
How a mother decorates her birth space matters for a few reasons. For one, She is going to want to feel good in her environment during her labor and birth. The decor should feel inspiring and encouraging. But also, if she is hiring a photographer or videographer, the lighting may impact how the film and photos turns out.
Keep reading for 4 Tips to make your home birth space look cozy and relaxing!
If you are thinking about having a birth videographer/photographer at your birth, my calendar books up fast! Contact me here!
#1 Get the WHITE Birth Tub.
This makes a huge difference in the way your birth photos and video turn out. As you can see below, the blue tub creates a blue color cast onto baby's face. In the white, tub it not only does not do that but it also reflects light onto baby's face, even though the window is not facing baby, which is SO helpful for brighter photos and video! Not to mention the aesthetic of the room changes entirely! This tub is beautiful and many local doulas and midwives have them to rent.
#2 Get some twinkly lights
(and put them behind a sheer white curtain)
If your birth is at night, this helps light the room beautifully. You want to avoid orangey things like salt lamps and battery powered candles and add in things that bring a more neutral color of light into the room. I also tell my clients to use table side lamps in addition to help really create a brighter birth space. If the room is not lit well, the photos and video will be dark and grainy. Not only that, but if it's too dark, I have issues focusing. My camera can't see to focus and you can end up with blurry photos and video. No one wants to pay all that money to hire a birth videographer and photographer to end up with low quality photos and video!
#3 Create a space for affirmations.
You can use an affirmation banner (they sell these on Etsy, or you can create your own). Or you can just tape beautiful bible verses and affirmations to the wall. This not only encourages you during labor but also provides a beautiful and calm setting to birth in. I tend to video this so that I can tell the story in a more clear way as well.
#4 You can hang a tapestry.
This can serve two purposes... You decorate your space AND encourage yourself with words! You can shop this tapestry below on Amazon.
(contains affiliate links)
Nashville Birth Photographer + Videographer | Midwife Feature: Sara Rosser
Sara Rosser (who has a midwife assistant, Sarah Fuqua who works along side her) is a local midwife, based in Columbia Tennessee. I have attended two births with her and Sarah (known as the Sara's) as the midwife and she is just amazing! She is so peaceful and calm. In fact, most times she hardly touches the patient. Not out of laziness, but out of giving them space to labor. As long as they have what they need, she doesn't get involved much. But if a patient needs her, she is full on there.
Her practice revolves around the freedom of birthing, less interventions, providing a safe environment with positive reinforcement to get through the birth. She fully believes in the mother is the one who is in charge. That it's her body and her right to be in control at all times. She believes in informed consent. I have heard her ask the mother in labor more than once "are you okay If I touch you?". She is also a Trauma Informed care provider, meaning she is informed about birth trauma and how that can effect a woman and her future births.
She never announces how dilated the mother is, IF she even checks. She is a very quiet fly on the wall, she may even be more of a fly on the wall than I am. She just lets mom labor and pops in for a heart rate check on baby every so often. She has trained and worked for The Farm Midwives and is such a phenomenally talented midwife and a beautiful person. If a mother wanted to hire Sara, they can have her at their home birth, or have a birth at The Farm.
There is a review on Sara's website that sums her up perfectly:
“Sara knew just when to help and just when to give me space to progress on my own.”
— Samantha
When a client hires me, and I find out that Sara (and Sarah) is their midwife, I am beyond excited. It is such a peaceful environment and the energy is just so quiet and calm. Sara has the best energy with a calm knowing that all is well. Learn more about my Birth Videography and Photography. Or You can inquire about it here.
Nashville, Tennessee Birth Photographer + Videographer | The Birth of Emerson True
I was about to be on call, it was the day my client - Krystal - turned 37 weeks. I woke to a voicemail and text I had missed - because that night I would have officially gone on call. Thank God, I woke early that morning. I could not believe my client was already in labor! I woke my husband and he made me coffee while I got ready super fast (did not even brush my teeth) and I was off. Thank God... because I was only at Krystal's for 30 minutes before baby Emerson made his grand entrance. Krystal had a very traumatic hospital birth with her first baby, so this birth was extremely redemptive for her. Becoming a mother is significantly harder with a traumatic birth. You start off in such a doubtful place, with less confidence. Because internally - subconsciously - many mothers already feel like a failure. What I love about having her home birth filmed is that it adds to the redemption of this birth for her. Because there were so many parts that she could not remember. and on top of that, watching herself give birth solidifies her belief in herself as a mother. She not only remembers bravely birthing her son, but can watch herself bravely birth with great strength. I loved capturing all of it. The very best part is 2 minutes after Emerson is born, she holds him and rocks and lets a series of emotions come. I posted this segment on my instagram and it has pretty much gone viral.
I present to you, 9.5 minutes of beautiful birth video.
Midwife: Haven Birth and Wellness
Doula: Dani Huka of Motheringarrows
The Birth of Emerson True | March 2023 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.
Nashville, Tennessee Birth Photographer + Videographer | Why is birth photography so important
WHY SHOULD YOU HIRE A BIRTH VIDEOGRAPHER + PHOTOGRAPHER...
...INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING YOUR PARTNER/MOM/DOULA/FRIEND-WITH-A-GOOD-CAMERA TAKE PICTURES FOR YOU?
A birth film is an amazing cinematic film telling the story of the day you gave birth. My goal is to tell THE WHOLE story. The story of who was there for you, how they supported you. How emotional your journey was bringing your baby into the world and how meeting your precious baby was a huge emotional experience.
Here are some of the reasons you should hire a birth videographer and photographer.
- To help you remember. The moments you are in labor and delivering your baby, make it impossible to be present AT your own birth. Many times, your eyes are close. You are focusing on getting through each contraction and pushing a baby out. So while, there is an amazing experience, you don't get to also have the bird's eye view of what happened. Even for Dad, depending on how delivery goes, he might want to remember as well.
Given that your birth experience is an intense journey, your memory will be lacking. Having a film to retell the story of your birth team and how they supported you as well as your bond with your husband and how impactful he was in your birth is such a treasure.
Being able to relive your baby's first cry and your first moments together. There is nothing more valuable.
For one, you cannot really comprehend the experience you are about to have. Its beyond anything you can ever prepare for.
You can't really grasp how important these moments...until AFTER baby is here .
As much as you believe your memory will not fade, it will. Between sleepless nights and nursing and diapers, the memories will fade as new seasons in your life come.
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Being able to revisit the most important seasons of your life, through video and photos, will be a cherished treasure.
Capturing the love that poured into your birth, how connected you were to your spouse. The first words spoken to your baby.
It's beyond words to have these captured on video.
Many mothers get these done in subsequent pregnancies. Why? Because they come to understand. They usually wish they had done a video and photos with their first baby.
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With modern technology, we are able to capture a lot on phones. But giving a husband or family member a phone to capture some video and photos, keeps them from experiencing the birth themselves.
They cannot be fully present for you.
It is also a lot of pressure to be responsible for capturing video of the birth, while simultaneously experiencing emotions themselves.
When you hire a birth photographer, you delegate the photos to a professional and let your partner do what they are best at, which is support you.
Wouldn't I be better off with a photographer who is also a doula?
This is a question I see often.
I fully believe in your ability to make that decision for yourself and fully respect it.
However, I have often wondered how anyone can do both effectively.
Especially with videography, I cannot possibly be in a deep focus on the story of your birth while managing to effectively support you through doula services.
In my professional opinion AND as a mother who had a doula.... I do not know how anyone can do both job simultaneously and truly show up in that role. Each one requires full focus and ability to adapt and be fully in that head space.
If one is doing both, they are not doing each job to the best of their ability.
I could go get trained as a doula, so I could offer it and compete. But at the end of the day, my #1 job is not being competitive. It's showing up for my client in the best way possible. I know my job is to tell your birth story and I know I need to be fully present in that role to do that WELL.
I work with so many second and third time moms who tell me that their number one regret from their first birth was that they didn’t hire a birth videographer + photographer. It’s normal to feel uncertain about the birth process when you haven’t gone through it, but one thing that seems consistent is that most moms say that their birth was one of the most powerful days of their life...and that it was also a blur.
There is so much happening physically and emotionally when you give birth, and there are so many little and big moments that you, your partner, and your children will want to look back on in the years to come. Much like your wedding day! As a professional birth photographer, I’m highly trained to read your non-verbal cues and to recognize the different stages of the birth process. My presence is often incredibly calming and reassuring to the families I work with. But most importantly, I provide my families with timeless images and sacred video of some of the best moments of their life.
If you are thinking about having a birth film done for your birth (with photos!), please reach out, I love doing a few births a year and would love to chat with you!
You can also learn more about Birth Videography and Photography here!
Below are some of my birth testomonials from past birth clients!
Nashville, Tennessee Birth Photographer + Videographer | Why is birth photography so expensive
Why is birth photography and videography so expensive?
Filming and photographing a birth is like shooting a wedding, except my client will call you at an unknown time on an unknown day. I make sure all of my equipment is ready and on me at all times, so I can drop everything and get there as fast as I can. Once I am at a birth, I could be there for 2 hours or 12, it's hard to say. But I'm ALL in, so I will stay for as long as it takes. I am on call from 37 weeks until 42 weeks. During that time, I cannot travel or even get into a kayak and go down a river. Because I have to be able to drop everything and go at any moment. Even if it's my son's birthday or soccer game.
Birth Photography and Videography is so unique.
Birth photography and video is unlike any other genre. I mean, we are capturing the most intimate possible milestone in a person's life. But in terms of cost, it compares to high end wedding videography and photography (which you usually get one person who does video and one who does photos, rather than one who does both!)
It takes a lot of skill to learn the craft of filming and photographing a birth. I need to be able to capture the birth in any light situation, be able to be a fly on the wall as to not disturb the birth space, and be able to beautiful tell the entire story - not just clicking a button on a camera.
After I come home from a birth, I have to sort through hundreds of photos and video clips. Video editing is extensively time consuming. There are so many pieces that go into editing a film. I never edit to just get it done, I take my time and make sure the music and the way I piece it all together tell the story of how mom labored, how her support team and husband helped and loved her through her labor and then how she was able to fully get baby out. After birth, mom holds and nurses baby and no one rushes baby from mom (since I do only home births)... so I hang around until baby is weighed and daddy gets to hold the baby. Sometimes, if it is day time, I get to capture siblings meeting for the first time. I get to capture these first beautiful hours as a family. The first latch, the first cry.... it's all so incredible.
You can divide up payments
This is true with any family film session or photography session or birth. As long as your total is paid in full by your session date or by the day I go on call, you can divide up payments in any way you want. I'm a big fan of letting you do it how you want and making it work for you. I am just so excited you are prioritizing these memories and I Cannot wait to work with you!
To learn more about my birth videography and photography, click here.
Here are a few things clients have said about cost...
