02/11/2017
Beautiful work Jane... you're a gift to work with...
Last night the Australian College of Midwives Inaugural Birth Photography Awards were awarded in Adelaide.
It is with great excitement to tell you that my images won both the Labour category and the Birth category. Not only that, but my image 'Between The Surges' won the whole competition 🎉🎉.
As with all birth workers, indulging in our passion for birth work takes an army of support. I have so many thank you's to make.
Firstly to my dear clients. I've been photographing births now for 10 years. It is always an honour and privilege to be invited into your birth space. I am humbled to see you at your most raw and yet, your most powerful. Every birth I witness you gift me with a renewed sense of wonder and awe of our innate ability to birth. You have all shaped me into the birth photographer I am today. Each and every one of you will always hold a very special place in my heart.
To the ACM, I think I speak for all birth photographers in saying that by holding this competition you have told us that you value us, you support our work and you see us as an integral member of the birth team. To receive that level of support from a professional body is incredibly affirming. Thank you. To all the other entrants esp the other finalists and my pal Kate Kennedy Birth Photography. You are all inspiring to me, thank you for helping to push social boundaries that is seeing birth photography becoming more and more accepted.
Katie Acorn Midwifery and Lisa Central Coast Birth Support. . The two of you were there right at the beginning when this was all but a dream. As friends you're support of my work and your ability to see the power of birth photography without me even having a portfolio was amazing. I love you both dearly.
To Lisa (with the most photographed catching hands in Australia), to the Midwives at Gosford Hospital, Wyong Hospital, North Gosford Private, the SAN, Hawsbury Hospital and RPA, to all the Independent Midwives I have had the honour of working alongside as well as the Medical Staff. Each and every one of you has welcomed me Into a birth space with open arms. You have all gone out of your way to make sure I can do my job to the best of my ability. You have all been so incredibly accomodating of me, in turn gifting amazing images to the women we are all serving.
Thank you to my sister and my parents who are always there to look after the kids if I get a call. I well and truely could not do this if it weren't for you. Dad told me when I was young that there is no point spending 40 years of your life doing something you don't love doing. Those wise words have been a driving force when I left my Midiwves Registration behind and I've etched a role out for myself capturing the most profound day of a woman's life... Her birthing day.
And finally thank you to my incredible husband and our 4 amazing children. It was during each of your birth days that I found my true power and strength and saw beauty in the rawness and vulnerability of transitioning from Maiden to Mother. I have drawn on that determination and courage as I aim to capture these same attributes in my women on their birthing day. Nick, you have always seen greatness in me. I love you.
Along with capturing incredibly moments for families to hold on to forever my other aim is to breathe light into a place where darkness is quite often seen. God has whispered to me "Jane, I want you to show the world the magnificence of my creation, the magnificence of motherhood". My hope is, when you look at my images, you see the magnificence of motherhood. We truly are designed remarkably.
