Stunning Winners of 2018 Birth Photography Contest Show How Amazing Moms Are

Best Birth Photography

Overall Winner & Overall People’s Choice Winner: Marijke Thoen of Marijke Thoen Geboortefotografie, “Stunning Siblings First Encounter”

Few experiences are as life-changing as giving birth. From the moment a mother discovers she’s pregnant to her baby’s first breath, it can be hard to express what this time means. But when words fail, birth photography ensures that the experience is beautifully immortalized; these specialty photographers capture maternity, labor, and life after the baby arrives. To highlight the very best in birth photography, Birth Becomes Her—a community of women passionate about the field—have just concluded their 2018 photo contest celebrating “real images of birth, breastfeeding, and motherhood.”

The Birth Becomes Her photo contest comprises five categories chronicling the different points of pregnancy and beyond. The divisions include maternity, labor, birth, fresh/postpartum, and breastfeeding; each category has first, second, and third place winners, as well as a People’s Choice award. This year, the competition received nearly 1,000 entries from photographers around the world. The winning images are an honest and nuanced view of families' lives, from times of joy to times of challenge.

So, who won the top prize this year? The Overall Winner and the People’s Choice Winner is photographer Marijke Thoen for her image titled Stunning Siblings First Encounter. Snapped in black and white, the picture is a striking look just seconds after a water birth. The focus is on the newborn and their sibling; the baby begins to cry as their curious sister stands face to face with the new person in her life. Thoen’s masterful eye—and being at the right place at the right time—externalizes a fleeting split second that can now be cherished for many years to come.

Birth Becomes Her recently concluded their 2018 photo contest highlighting the best in birth photography.

Best Birth Photography

Birth (1st Place): Selena Rollason of Brisbane Birth Photography, “Half Born and Already Reaching for Mama”

Best Birth Photography

Breastfeeding (1st Place): Cory Janiak by Ebb and Flow Photography, “Within Reach”

Best Birth Photography

Fresh/Postpartum (1st Place): Veronika Richardson of Fox Valley Birth and Baby, “This is VBAC”

Best Birth Photography

Labor (1st Place): Rebecca Coursey-Rugh of Rebecca Coursey Photography, “Nowhere and Everywhere”

Birth Documentary Photography

Maternity (1st Place): Jen Conway of Jen Conway Photography Serving, “This is what a Goddess Looks Like”

Birth Documentary Photography

Birth (2nd Place): Neely Ker-Fox of Ker-Fox Photography, “Fist Bump for Mom”

Birth Documentary Photography

Birth (3rd Place): Dominique Lamontagne of Dominique Lamontagne Photography, “Caught in Between Worlds”

Birth Documentary Photography

Breastfeeding (2nd Place): Veronika Richardson of Fox Valley Birth and Baby, “Tranquility”

Birth Documentary Photography

Breastfeeding (3rd Place): Christina Benton of Christina Benton Photography, “Stir Fry”

Birth Documentary Photography

Fresh/Postpartum (2nd Place): Lacey Barratt from Lacey Barratt Photography, “Rebirth”

Birth Documentary Photography

Fresh/Postpartum (3nd Place): Kayla Gonzales of Austin Birth Photos, “Postpartum Uncensored”

Birth Photography Contest

Labor (2nd Place): Ashley Marston of Ashley Marston Photography, “Labor by Candlelight”

Birth Photography Contest

Labor (3rd Place): Laura Wando of Laura Cate Photography, “Before the Cut”

Birth Photography Contest

Maternity (People’s Choice Winner & 2nd Place): Melissa Benzel of Benzel Photography, “Staying Afloat”

Birth Photography Contest

Maternity (3rd Place): Vanessa Mendez of Vanessa Mendez Photography, “A Mother’s Love”

Birth Photography Contest

Birth (People’s Choice Winner): Caroline Devulder, “Transition to Earth”

Birth Photography Contest

Breastfeeding (People’s Choice Winner): Gabriella Hunt of Gabriella Hunt Photography, “A Hush Fell Over The Crowd”

Birth Photography Contest

Fresh/Postpartum (People’s Choice Winner): Deborah Elenter of NEO Photography, “Success”

Birth Photography Contest

Labor (People’s Choice Winner): Esther Edith of Esther Edith Photography, “Three Souls Labor As One”

Birth Becomes Her: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Birth Becomes Her.

Related Articles:

Winners of 2017 Birth Photography Competition Capture the Emotion of Childbirth

Heartfelt Moments of Mothers Supporting Their Daughters Through Childbirth

Powerfully Revealing Portraits of Mothers’ Bodies After Childbirth

Photographer Captures Intimate Moments of Home Birth

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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