Melbourne Birth

photography.

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Birth photography is simple, yet complex.

It’s the bridge that covers the gap between hormones (in the good way) and our experience.

I recognise that birth photography specifically, for clients, are helpful when used in a way that suits that specific person. I also however, recognise that viewing birth photography online can create a false sense of what birth might look like for society. We view images on instagram and pinterest and they look one way but then we view them in the mainstream media and birth is depicted a different way.

When you come to me, I want you to think of this as a build-your-own-birth-memory experience.

I want you to forget about what you think is beautiful. Close your eyes. Feel it.

Having your birth photographed is as unique as your baby.

No two births are the same.
No two experiences are the same.
No two photographs are the same.
This is what makes the documentation worthy.

After my first baby was born, I tried my hardest to remember every detail, every smell, feeling and my surroundings.

But nothing came back to me. Not a whiff, not a taste, nothing.

It was like my body and memory had erased every trace of my baby’s birth. The only way I knew it was real was that I was snuggled with this gorgeous child.

But how could I share all the incredible details?

How could I celebrate the power of a woman giving the gift of life?
How could I tell my baby about the moment he entered the world?

lacey-barratt-birth-photographer-melbourne

In amongst the chaos of birth, your body is pulsing with birth hormones and adrenaline, most of which will cause you to instantly forget the entire experience. Making your birth a faint recollection.

These are the only THREE images that I have to celebrate the birth of my first born.

This is what makes my passion for birth photography so strong, and it’s my mission to make sure that we capture all of the thrilling, exciting, wondrous moments of your birth for you to share with your children for many generations to come. What I would give to be handed heirloom archival prints of my great grandmother birthing my grandmother…and so on.

My great grandmother was Nicaragüense.

She didn’t speak any English and lived in the US for the majority of her life. I am grateful that I was able to spend many many years with her before she died in 2013 at the incredibly young ages of 96. Of allll the stories she shared with me, the birth of my grandmother is one I wish I had asked about.

My birth photographer has been on speed dial with each of my additional three babies right along with my doula. And these photos are some of my most cherished possessions.

After 10 + years of photographing birth, my workflows are perfected.

I accept clients up to 1 hour from the Point Cook area in any direction. Anything further than that and I run the risk of missing your birth in transit. (It happens, albeit not frequently.)

I like to work on what I call the ‘two phone call’ alert system. Ring me once when you think things are moving and once again when you call your midwife or leave to attend the hospital. If you are free birthing, its when you feel you are ready for documentation to begin. Please call me. I will miss a text message.

I stay up to 2 hours post birth and depending on the time of day and length of time I was present at your birth, you will typically have a text message within 12 hours of giving birth with sneek peeks. (Yay!)

Once you get your sneeky peeks, I edit the rest of your gallery. I strive to have your gallery returned within 48 hours. (I know me, so if it isn’t like this, it will sit the full 6 weeks I allow for in my contract haha.) Being an expert image editor, my workflows are fool proof and swift.

You will receive all of your images in an online digital gallery for you to download and share for personal use. I tend to photograph what I intend to give to the client, so if I photograph 350 images, you will not get the culled duplicates, which is about 250 images. The amount of images I take varies pending what goes on in your birth. It’s safe to say, on average, the gallery is about 200-250 images. I guarantee a minimum of 150. I will never withhold images from you because I think ‘you won’t like them’ If its in your gallery, its every image I have that isn’t blurry, weirdly composed, or a duplicate image.

I limit the amount of clients I take on to ensure you are served swiftly with no long wait times.

Birth Photography starts from $3,500
*payment plans available

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Have a look at a 10 image birth story below.

Not only am I skilled photographer, I’m also highly awarded in my niche.

In 2015 I was awarded NT Docuementary Photographer of the Year

In 2016 I was awarded Victorian Documentary Photography of the Year.

In 2018 I was awarded Australian Documentary Photographer of the Year.

In 2018 I was awarded Bronze in the Reportage Category in the World Photographic Cup, also part of the Australian Team which won.

In 2018 I was awarded Victorian Business Excellence Award in Ausmumprenuer Awards.

In 2020 I started Birth Photographer of the Year competition to award the worlds best birth photographer not on image quality alone. But we also ensure they are a winner as a whole, including their business model.

In 2022 I was awarded Silver in the Reportage Category in the World Photographic Cup, also part of the Australian Team which came second.

From 2017- present day, I judge other competitions including AIPP, ACMP Birth Photography Awards, Australian Photographic Prize, IAPBP Image Competition, Ausmumprenuer and other awards.

I offer coaching, mentoring, and courses to other birth workers helping them create business and offerings that enable them to be in their zone of genius, helping to eliminate jaded birth workers that wake up, loving what they do more than they did the day before.