This past week I renewed my photography vows during an in-person workshop with the award international winning Melburne photographer Lacey Barratt.

I picked up Lacey at the airport on Tuesday afternoon and hosted the mock birth workshop at my house on Wednesday and Thursday.

Being a birth photographer doesn’t start with a Master Degree in photography, nor it certainly ends with simply attending births every months.

There is so much emotional and personal growth that needs to be constantly fed with attention and love. Because photographing the sacred moment of birth, requires also to hold space and match the energy that we walk into when we are invited in.

So photographing a ‘pretend birth’ aka mock birth is a nice way to practice with light, space, and also share with other fellow local birth photographer the experience that we normally have on our own.

Sometimes being at a birth can feel pretty lonely! At least, I have often felt that way, worrying about my family that I had left in the middle of the night and caring for the family in labor, about to get bigger and new.

My friend and fellow photographer Bree was our pregnant model, so she she got to pretend and pose in the birth pool that we set up for her as Lacey pretended to be her doula and massage her back.

On day one we photographed, edited and talked about intentions.

Color image of pregnant mom laying on a birth tub with her eyes close as part of a mock birth class as part of renewed birth photography vows by Los Angeles birth photographer Diana Hinek for Dear Birth

On day two we went deep into the business of being a birth photographer with all its facets of emotions, spiritual growth and ancestral healing.

Attending this workshop as a renewed photography vows experience, really felt like making yet again the promise of serving and celebrating my clients with all my heart. Like renewed photography vows.

I was also lucky to get to spend quality time with Lacey; after the workshop and my renewed photography vows, we got to take a nice walk to the Santa Monica Pier and Promenade where she satisfied her cravings for an American burger at Johnny Rockets ( did you know they serve gluten free bread??).

My baby Robin came along and strolled and strolled. It reminded me a bit of when I first came to Santa Monica on my own. Showing Lacey around refreshing.

Color image of pregnant mom laying on a birth tub with her eyes close as part of a mock birth class as part of renewed birth photography vows by Los Angeles birth photographer Diana Hinek for Dear Birth

The day after she spoiled me and my family with few snaps of our family moments at the park.

Come back soon Lacey!!!

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