I go absolutely crazy for birth stories. Like, even when I’m not pregnant. But when I am, I’ll stay up way too late at night googling and searching Pinterest for birth stories I haven’t already read because I love them SO much! I love reading about how different women try to get labor going, how long they labor for, their experiences with or without epidurals, where they decide to give birth, and the whole process because it is all so different for everyone and I love reading about the strength that these women have in bringing life into the world. My absolute favorite birth stories to read though, are the ones with birth photography.
I love seeing everything unfold as if I were there experiencing it for myself. I love the reactions of first time parents caught in photographs to cherish forever. I love seeing a newborn baby as they are entering this world and taking their very first breaths. As I reflect on Reagan’s birth, I don’t remember a lot of those details because the adrenaline was so strong and there was so much going on and I desperately wish I had those moments captured somehow. I’m sitting here trying to think about when I first saw her and it wasn’t when she came out, it was when they laid her on my chest a few minutes after. I loved my experience with Reagan, but I feel like not having everything photographed means that I’m missing a few puzzle pieces of the story.
This is why I committed to making sure we had this birth photographed. I want to cry happy tears when I look back on these photos have my memories added to the exact events that transpired. Every single birth story I have read that includes photography says that having a birth photographer was the best decision they ever made, and I’m so beyond excited to have this experience for ourselves.
I found Sara of Honest Abel Photography through a friend who had Mother’s Day pictures taken by her. She lives in Bulverde just outside of San Antonio and as we started talking I fell more in love with her business model and felt so good about having her be there for this monumental occasion in our lives. She started her business after a bad experience getting family pictures taken of her family, so she does things a little differently than most photographers. First, she gives UNLIMITED edited photos with each hour long shoot, in addition to a complimentary holiday mini session with each full priced shoot. She gets your photos back to you in 10 days (!!!) and her mini sessions start at just $50. She really believes that everyone deserves to have beautiful photos that they feel good about, regardless of budget or circumstance. She started the monthly mini sessions so everyone has the opportunity to have updated family photos, even if they have very young children or a limited budget and time. I have included some of her work at the end of this post so you can appreciate her talent and also devotion to giving everyone the opportunity to have photos they will cherish forever.
I literally cannot tell you how excited I am for this session! I’ve been pretty good at not counting down the days until baby girl gets here but the process of finding a photographer and now seeing her talent has me all eager to see the wonderful images she will capture for our family! Everything seems to be coming together now, and I hope these last few weeks go by quickly because I am ready to meet this sweet girl!
Sara also offers a bundle deal for expecting moms, and she has offered a 15% discount off that bundle for my readers! So if you are in the surrounding San Antonio area, make sure to check out her work and talk to her about getting some sessions done for your family!
