Frequently Asked Questions

If you still have questions, email us: hello@thefirsthelloproject.com

(There are no dumb questions.)

  • Outside the birth of your baby, your wedding was probably the biggest day of your life. You probably had a professional photographer, or even two, to cover that event. You wanted to trust the final product would represent your special day and have all your love ones relaxed and in the shots. 

    Having an experienced birth photographer there will ensure that your birth story is told through powerful images of raw human emotion. It will give you the details that you might miss from your hospital bed. It allows your family to support you and not to worry about missing a moment. It ensures the little details are captured that someone less experienced might not think to photograph. It allows your husband to hold your hand and be fully present. The hours of labour and delivery will pass just as quickly as the hours of your wedding day but your birth photographer will make sure you have the details of the day captured to relive for years to come.

  • We're birth photographers, and your birth isn't our first. We've seen it all before. Different women respond differently to birth and that's 100% ok! You can be confident that nothing you do will surprise us. Scream, yell, swear, ignore us completely, go into the zone, vomit, cry, beg for it to stop — it won't rattle us. We actually love the intensity of labour and birth.

  • It's very normal to have this thought. But don't worry! We tailor your experience to your preferences. Some mummas want everything captured, like full nudity, the crowning, the placenta, breastfeeding – and some don't. We consider being in that space an honour and we believe it is sacred, so we are very sensitive to the needs and comfort of our clients.

  • Although you may not feel your prettiest, we honestly think a curvy woman full with child, bringing a new life into the world is one of the most stunning sights ever. You may be self-conscious about extra pregnancy kilos you've gained or you might cringe at the thought of a camera in your sweaty face as you push. But we do everything we can to capture you BEAUTIFULLY. These aren't glamour photos, to be sure, but we are very intentional about composing our shots so they capture your best. 

  • Your images are just that — YOURS. It is entirely up to you who gets to see them. Some mothers are so delighted for us to share their beautiful moments on our social media accounts, website and print materials. And others would prefer some are kept private. After you've received all your images, we will request permission to share them. They will never appear anywhere unless you've consented.

  • All our images are black and white. There is a lot of blood and many babies and mothers become quite blotchy on their face and body during birth so we like to keep our images consistent and classy. Check out more of our images here.

    The amount of images depends on which package you choose. But rest assured, there are always plenty, or at least that's what our clients always tell us!

  • We have a variety of packages — request them to be emailed to you here. Payment plans are available. We also have a Baby Shower Registry so you can invite your friends and family to contribute to your chosen package. There are also Gift Certificates that can be purchased.

  • Yes! We would love to meet with you and your partner and chat through any questions you may have. It's also a nice opportunity to get to know each other a little before your birth.

  • We're on call from 38 weeks (although we would still try and be there if the baby wants to make an early appearance). We ask our mothers to keep in touch with us via text if they feel like they're getting close. Its great to know if the hospital has been called and what your midwife is recommending.

    Depending on which package you book, we then come to the hospital or your home and capture all the moments as they happen. We can’t ever 100% guarantee to capture everything – birth is so highly unpredictable and sometimes things outside of our control can stop us from getting to you on time. However, we currently have a team of photographers, so no matter when you go into labour one of us should be able to get there!

  • We will stay there as long as it takes! There are no timelines when it comes to birth and we are fully prepared for that.

  • Yes birth is highly unpredictable. And there are many factors that can contribute to us missing the actual birth. But don’t worry… we will document everything we possibly from the moment we arrive to make sure you have some memories to treasure forever.

  • YES! It is your responsibility to make sure your midwife/doctor AND the hospital will allow photography during your labour and delivery. You may be limited to the number of “support” people allowed with you. Please verify the official policies with your hospital. Many doctors and midwives love what we do and it’s so far never been a problem for us to document your beautiful birth story. There are some doctors and midwives who would rather not be in any images and it is our duty to make sure images are cropped or blur in respect of their request.

    Please note that if any unforeseen event occurs that requires treatment or urgent medical attention for you or your baby, or causes the planned delivery method to change (eg. emergency C-section), we may be required to leave the delivery room for a period of time. But don’t worry… if this happens we will return to documenting your birth story as the medical staff directs us. Your safety and your child’s safety is the most important thing!

  • However your first hello happens, we can capture your unique story – which includes scheduled cesareans! Each hospital has a different policy in their operating theatres, but with prior consent, they are generally happy to accommodate a photographer along with your husband.

  • We like to think of ourselves as flies on the wall. We make sure we stay out of the way of the medical team and allow you room to do what you need to do. We want to capture your birth journey as purely as we can. So it's just one of us and our camera (with no flash). That’s it!

    There are times when lighting can be difficult due to dimly lit rooms but we usually find a way to bring a little light so we can ensure you have quality photos.


Stories from our First Hello family.

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"Labour is one of life’s most intense experiences. The anticipation, pain, fear and excitement clouded my ability to fully appreciate what I was going through. Seeing images of my daughter's journey into the world after one month, one year, and now almost three years, I’m taken back to those moments and experience them in new ways. I am reminded of the strength I never knew I was capable of, the depth of emotion on my husband’s face, and that moment - the moment my little love looked up into my eyes and stole my heart."

— Lucinda (Mumma of Mari)

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"I couldn't be more grateful for crossing paths the First Hello Project. Straight away I felt an amazing trusting energy and knew that they would respect my birth space but at the same time capture those intimate beautiful moments — and that they did! Even though things didn't go quite to plan with having an extremely quick labour at peak hour traffic, they managed to capture all the beautiful moments of my little family bonding after his entrance into the world. She also stayed for hours after the birth, put down her camera and held my hand whilst I had some after birth procedures. What a beautiful person she is and what amazing raw, professional and truly magical photos I have to treasure for the rest of my life. Could not recommend The First Hello more. You will not be disappointed!" 

— Rachel (Mumma to Lucas)

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"I never imagined to house a growing life, to birth it and care for it... I never imagined to one day call someone daughter. I want to relive each day and in particular that moment we said our first hellos. There are no words to describe it... Only images that truly capture the essence of this miraculous entry. Images of a courageous body that housed my baby girl. Images of that time my body went through hell for my heart to meet heaven!

I'm forever grateful for The First Hello who captured my journey of pregnancy and birth because words in my journal would never be enough!"

— Carmen (Mumma to Ayla)

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"The First Hello captured just about every emotion that was present in the room... relief that labour was over, the overwhelming feeling of loving someone ENTIRELY that you've only just met, and then of course the joy of bringing forth the life you've carried for the last 9 months... beautiful. One of the most magical experiences I think life will ever have to offer. On a lighter note, I should definitely mention that I was completely aware and grateful for The First Hello's own experience of childbirth and was seriously appreciating the extra girl-power in the room when it came time to get the job done!"

— Juliette (Mumma to Milan & Brydie)

"I have never loved any photos more than the ones captured by The First Hello of my husband and I holding our baby girl for the first time. The raw emotion in that moment is something I actually didn't think could be captured in an image. I can't even explain to you how powerful their images are!"

— Brea (Mumma to Saxon)


WHAT WE DOCUMENT

PHOTO + FILM