workshops + mentorship
education
for photographers
Have you ever dreamt of capturing the profound moments of childbirth but found yourself unsure of where to begin?
Are you eager to elevate your love for birth photography into a thriving and profitable business? Perhaps you're a doula or birth worker, feeling the call to expand your skills and offer your clients the gift of beautiful, timeless photos?
In the past 12 years, I've been privileged to enter the birthing space more than 120 times, documenting a diverse array of births—from outdoor settings to hospitals, birth centers, cesarean sections in the operating room, home water and land births, surrogate births, planned breech births in hospitals, unplanned breech births at home, and even a few toilet births! It has been a wild, unbelievable, and incredibly rewarding journey, sparked by my presence in the delivery room at my very first birth and evolving into a deep passion that I am now eager to share with you.
SO YOU CAN APPROACH EVERY BIRTH WITH CONFIDENCE RIGHT FROM THE START.
What if, right from the beginning, you had the invaluable opportunity to learn from someone with 12 years of experience in birth photography? Unfortunately, such resources were scarce in Canada during my early years. Now, I'm excited to share everything I've learned along the way with you.
I'm here to be your guide, to walk beside you, and offer support. Whether you're a newcomer to birth spaces or an experienced doula aiming to enhance your photography skills, I'm prepared to delve into every aspect of running a successful birth photography business and creating art that immortalizes one of the most significant days in your clients' lives.
This isn't just work; it's a passion, a fulfilling service on multiple levels. You'll know if this calling is for you the moment you step into the birthing space— you'll feel it resonate through every fiber of your being.
I want you to experience it firsthand.
I want you to confidently enter any birthing environment, handle any lighting scenario, and intuitively capture powerful, emotional, and life-changing imagery for your clients.
ARE YOU READY TO EMBARK ON YOUR JOURNEY INTO BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY?
The Workshop
Elevate yourself into a confident photographer who approaches the birth space with respect, adeptly capturing births in any lighting condition. By the end of this intimate workshop, you will not only feel assured in your ability to navigate any birthing environment and master various lighting situations but will also carry a newfound sense of empowerment ready to achieve your birth photography business goals. Moreover, this workshop is designed to cultivate a supportive community of like-minded birth photographers, providing a network for ongoing collaboration and growth in this fulfilling field.
As a bonus, you will leave this transformative workshop with a compelling collection of portfolio-building imagery, ready to kickstart your advertising for births.
Witness the return on your investment from photographing your very first birth.
Details
*Spots are limited to just 8 participants.
Date + Time
Saturday March 9, 2024
Time: 9:30am - 5:00pm
Snacks, drinks & lunch included
Location
Grandview Heights, my home in central Edmonton
(birth pool set up & pregnant model for practice shooting & portfolio images)
Bonus
Drinks & appies 5:30 - 6:30pm
(surprise guest speaker)
Post-workshop Meet Up
Building a Community
Thursday June 13, 2024
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The objective of this workshop extends beyond individual learning—it's about fostering a community of birth photographers. I encourage all participants to reconvene three months after the workshop for a check-in and a casual discussion about the first birth each person photographed. The value lies in sharing these experiences, as we can all glean insights and learn from one another's stories.
Topics + Schedule
*Kindly be aware that this schedule is provisional, and the timeline and content may undergo changes as I finalize the course material.
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(10:00am - 11:00am)
Respecting the sanctity of the birthing space, acknowledging the various stages of labor, understanding the dynamics of hospital births, operating room (OR) experiences, home births, and birth center deliveries, and discerning the nuances between these settings. This workshop covers insights on recognizing the right time to arrive, emphasizing respect and professionalism when interacting with birth staff.
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(11:00am - 12:00pm)
Establishing a profitable pricing structure, understanding the intrinsic value of birth photography, and addressing the question of whether to shoot the first birth for free. Additionally, crafting your own compelling model call will be explored in this comprehensive workshop.
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(12:30pm - 2:15pm)
We'll delve into the world of gear, exploring lighting techniques tailored to different birth spaces, the dynamics of flash versus no flash and tips and tricks for confidently narrating the birth story with a focus on the pivotal moment of birth.
Moreover, a birth pool will be set up, accompanied by a pregnant model, providing an exclusive opportunity to ask questions and practice shooting. I will have two distinct lighting scenarios: window light and low-light offering a chance to practice the use of flash in both situations. (I have allowed about approx. 45 min/1 hour for this, however this may change based on how many students attend the workshop).
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(2:15pm - 3:00pm)
Refining your post-processing skills, including culling and editing techniques, optimizing workflows for efficiency, exploring the use of presets, and honing in on the process of discovering and defining your unique editing style.
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(3:00pm - 4:00pm)
Covering essential business aspects, such as crafting contracts, backup systems, navigating CRM tools, managing expenses and taxes, and understanding client and staff permissions. Discussing the responsible sharing of photos, contingency plans for emergencies, addressing various "what if" scenarios in birth.
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(4:00pm - 5:00pm)
Embracing the on-call lifestyle, establishing reliable backups, fostering a supportive community, and navigating the unique landscape of birth photography in Edmonton. Delving into effective marketing strategies, conducting pre-consultation meetings and the crucial questions to ask. Providing insights into my comprehensive workflow, from the initial inquiry to gallery delivery and beyond.
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(5:30pm - 6:30pm)
Let's kickstart the community-building process! Stick around post-workshop for some drinks, appetizers, and engaging conversations. Feel free to ask me anything and everything you want, and to add to the insights, we'll have a guest speaker present to address your questions too. It's a perfect opportunity to connect, share experiences, and continue the learning in a relaxed and social setting.
Investment
What you get
8 hours of comprehensive instruction
Personalized feedback on your initial birth experience (Send me your gallery from your first birth and I will send you some feedback).
A supportive community of fellow beginners in birth photography
Valuable resources
Contract I personally use for my births
Detailed list of questions for your pre-consultation meetings
An expenses cheat sheet
My complete workflow
And additional helpful materials.
Full payment
$997
3 Monthly Payments
$355
Extend your learning
Bundle them together with this workshop and save:
Unlimited Voxer support for before/during/after your first birth (4 weeks)
$222
Regular $333
Video deep dive (4 hours, in-person/zoom learning)
$455
Regular $555
I attend a birth with you
$755
Regular $955
1:1 Mentoring Options
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90 minutes, ask me anything, deep dive into one or two topics that you want to learn.
Cost: $350 CAD
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Includes:
A 90-minute deep-dive call to kick off our mentorship, assessing your current position, identifying your learning goals, and outlining your personalized modules.
Three 60-minute Zoom (or other platform) calls tailored to address the specific topics you want to discuss, with assigned homework between sessions.
An in-person mentoring session lasting 2 hours, focusing on hands-on learning for topics that benefit from in-person guidance.
Four weeks of Voxer support for assistance before, during, and after photographing your initial birth.
Detailed feedback on your first birth session.
Comprehensive package including contracts, questionnaires, and a list of valuable resources to enhance your knowledge.
Cost: $595 per month for 3 months.
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Includes:
A 90-minute deep-dive call to kickstart our mentorship, assessing your current position, identifying your learning goals, and planning out your modules.
Six 60-minute Zoom (or other platform) calls tailored to address the specific topics you want to discuss, with assigned homework between sessions.
Either one 6-hour or two 3-hour in-person mentoring sessions, allowing hands-on learning for topics that benefit from in-person guidance.
Four weeks of Voxer support for assistance before, during, and after photographing your initial birth.
Detailed feedback on your first birth session.
Comprehensive package including contracts, questionnaires, and a list of valuable resources to enhance your knowledge.
A FREE spot in my in-person workshop (March 2024).
Cost: $495 per month for 6 months.
