[Leica] BIRTHING! :-) WITH LEICA'S !

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

Ken Carney offered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS: LUG 2010 YEAR BOOK! PETER! :-) NOW DOCTOR. :-)

 BIRTHING LESSON! :-) 


>  Great.  For our last child, my wife wanted to do the "Lamaze natural 
> childbirth" thing.  I went to classes with her, and as nearly as I could 
> tell my role was to be in the delivery room to offer support with 
> breathing etc.  Anyway, our last was three weeks premature.  On a rush 
> trip to the ER, spouse wanted "the ******* shot".  Too late, they said, 
> it is happening now.  So I was in the delivery room in a gown and mask, 
> offering support.  This now involved holding spouse's hand, which kept 
> pressing fingernails into my palm, causing a substantial blood loss (no 
> single-malt in the delivery room).  Every once in a while an assistant 
> would pass me a towel to wipe up the blood and give me an easily 
> translatable look.  Such fun, but the kid turned out OK so no 
> regrets.<<<<<<<<

Hi Ken.
Your description is fairly modest and mild compared to some with extremely 
loud out bursts of unrepeatable language! And father blood loss at the same 
time from fingernail surgical action!"  The best place to shoot this 
birthing event, that is if one should have the good fortune to capture this 
miracle of life happening.

If one is in a "Birthing room" compared to an OR where it becomes slightly 
more complicated because you have to strip and change into OR clothing. 
Sometimes faster than Superman and a flying bullet! 

In the birthing room you wear your everyday clothing and your shooting 
position should be one side or the other of the bed at the mothers head. You 
are now facing the medical crew who will be in action and facing in your 
direction exactlly where you want them to.  Then you'll be able to capture 
the first look at the baby as the doctor holds baby up for the mother to 
have a look, often before the umbilical cord is cut. Also the father if he's 
in attendence on the opposite side of the bed from you, the photographer. 
You make a couple of very quick exposures then turn toward mother and 
capture her facial expressions.

However, be prepared for the real moment of truth!! The expression on the 
mothers' face as the nurse hands her the baby. THIS ONE YOU CAN NOT MISS!  
Baby & mother faces!! Are they all prize winners? Nope, but it's the faces 
you want more than anything. Or sometimes the father, mother and baby are so 
close together and they're smiling, crying with happiness tears............. 
it's magical and you do not want to run out of card space or dead battery! 
Or from the ancient day.. run out of film.

This is the type of assignment where several cameras of similar type with 
different lenses is very handy... Let's put it this way..... "You don't ask 
for a re-take!" :-) WHY? Well the chances are at that moment you'll probably 
have your last look at the world as the mother throttles you until you stop 
kicking and become a very ugly blue colour in the face! :-)

It's all natural light and for heaven sake don't even think about a flash! 
Leave it in the car or tape it down if it's one of those pop-up things! 

Then hang around for a bit as parents, now grand parents and or younger 
children come to see their new brother or sister.  Images abound like wild 
flowers in spring! Shoot everyhing that moves and turns you on!

There now I think that's a bit of a lesson on "How to shoot a birthing!" 
Sorry I got a bit carried away! :-)
Good luck if you have the opportunity, as it's so magical, emotional and an 
experince you'll never forget.

OH A VERY VERY IMPORTANT THING! Don't tell me you can shoot it as the father 
to be? WHY? 99.9999% of the times I've seen it tried? It's never worked!

If you are about to be the father... "DO NOT EVEN LET IT CROSS YOUR MIND 
THAT YOU CAN SHOOT IT AND BE OF ANY USE WITH TENDER LOVING CARE AND WORDS 
FOR YOUR WIFE AT THE SAME TIME! If you try, you'll unoubtedly hear words 
from your sweet wife the likes you've never heard her say about you and that 
camera! :-) Trust me on this, would I lie to you? :-)

cheers,
Dr. ted.