Working as an exclusive birth photographer for the past 10 years has allowed me to be privy to every type of birth imaginable. Normal hospital and Birth Centre births, caesarean birth in theatre, home water birth, planned breech birth in hospital, unplanned breech at home, even a couple of unplanned and unassisted home births! It’s been a wild, unbelievable and incredibly rewarding career thus far and one that has created friendships with both clients and birth workers.

I’ve been doing this work since the very early days of birth photography worldwide, and have seen it grow into an industry acknowledged and high demand genre. I’ve felt the frustration of building a business whilst battling a lack of understanding from the photographic and wider community and I’ve also experienced the elation of winning prestigious awards and being recognised as a professional documentary photographer! The challenges of those early days are behind us now and with demand for birth photography growing every year, it’s becoming difficult for current birth photographers to meet the need. It’s vitally important to me and to all the dedicated photographers who work in this genre, to see high quality and professional photographers stepping into this work, hence my decision to share my knowledge with you.

In this online workshop I’ll be sharing all my knowledge and personal experience of working as an exclusive birth photographer, during which time I’ve photographed around 150 births, been awarded AIPP NSW Documentary Photographer of the Year and twice Highly Commended in the International Association of Professional Birth Photography Awards. I’ve built strong relationships with hospitals, midwives and obstetricians and worked on education projects for birth professionals. I pour my heart and soul into my work and approach every client with openness, respect and pure intentions. This way of thinking forms the base for all of my interactions with families and medical professionals and is predominantly what I attribute my success to.

I use examples of my own work throughout the workshop, to demonstrate not only my successful images but also my failures. I’m extremely generous with my knowledge and hold nothing back, which means any question is acceptable. I have a ‘Community Over Competition’ philosophy and welcome new photographers (even those local to me) to this genre with open arms.

This online workshop will be broken up into 6 one hour modules, to be run as a group session over Zoom, every Tuesday morning at 10:30am EST, starting on the 7th of November and running through until the 12th of December. This year I’m also including a personal phone call in the week following the last course module, to answer any lingering questions you may have. These modules will equip you with all the knowledge you need to get started in this genre of photography and become a valuable member of any birth team.

There will be time at the end of each session to ask any questions you might have about what we have discussed that day, and I will record each session so if you happen to miss one for whatever reason, I can send you the recording.

The cost in total for these 6 sessions will be $600. I will be limiting the number of online workshop attendees so that every person will have the opportunity for their questions to be answered.

To register for this online workshop and ensure you don’t miss out on a place, please email me directly at katekennedybirthphotography@gmail.com 

I look forward to meeting you and hearing about your passion for this incredible genre!

Kate. X

Module Topics

Starting Out In Birth Photography

-Birth space etiquette and how to build relationships with medical professionals.

-Understanding birth in its many forms and being prepared for what you might encounter

-Process from enquiry to delivery

-Contracts and legalities

-Living life on call

The Technical Stuff

-What equipment you’ll need

-Shooting in manual (learning ISO, Shutter speed and aperture)

-Lighting , cropping and composition

-How to use flash delicately

The Moment Of Birth

-Choosing your position

-Changing settings quickly

-Sacrificing shots

-When things don’t go to plan

-Telling the story of birth

Caesarean Sections

-Theatre etiquette

-Capturing the full story of caesarean birth

-Managing the light in theatre

-Capturing emotions and details in limited space

-The importance of photos in Recovery

Post Production, Scheduling and Marketing

-Editing programs

-Backing up files

-Creating slideshows and licensing music

-Online presence

-Backup photographers

The Physiology of Birth and Loving The Work

-Having passion for women’s experiences

-Working with other professionals and creating ongoing relationships

-Maintaining a grateful mindset and being generous in business

-The photos I never take and the photos I never show

Some testimonials from previous workshop attendees…

“Earlier this year I attended Kate’s Birth Photography Workshop and it’s honestly been life changing. Kate addresses so much more than technical skill and photographers of all skill levels would benefit from her workshop. She has the utmost respect for her clients and their birth space, they are her number one priority and her lessons on birth etiquette are invaluable. Thank you Kate!”

Alex Warden Photography

“I attended Kate’s Birth Photography Workshop last August 2017 and it was THE best decision I made before launching my own photography business. To be honest, Ive always had a love for photography, people and stories and I absolutely love birth (and everything it stands for) – although I wasn’t ever sure if Birth Photography was the right fit for me. Kates’ workshop was everything I imagined and more! It honestly was one of the best days soaking in her knowledge, wisdom and many years of experience. Kate is extremely talented, thoughtful, intuitive and generous in her work. You can’t walk away from Kate and not feel inspired! Birth Photography is so much more than the art of beautiful birth photos – its about the women, the partners, the families you serve and thats exactly what Kate teaches and does on a daily basis.
On a personal note, Kate is so warm and friendly – so if you need a day away from the world to sit and be inspired creatively – this day is for you. Its nourishing on so many levels. If the idea of Birth Photography is calling you, you must attend this! I am forever grateful to you Kate for your encouragement and for introducing me to the worlds best job! x”

Ashleigh Jane Birth Photography

“Last year I travelled from Western Australia to attend this workshop with Kate. On the way there I was wondering what on earth I was doing traveling all that way. But I had been following Kate’s photography for ages, and my heart said to go and I am SO, SO glad I did. Kate was the best host I could have hoped for. The love and joy you see in Kate’s photos is what you see in her teaching and she generously shared so much of herself and the profession of birthing photography. I came home enthused and full of knowledge. It was such a delight to spend this time with Kate. I have now started photographing some amazing births. Thanks Kate xx”

Jilly Rogers Photography

“Thank you Kate for such an inspiring and informative workshop. Your insight is invaluable. I learnt how to negotiate and navigate hospital staff, what to shoot and not to shoot. When to be invisible and when to be a strong support. I would love to do another workshop with you just to spend more time with you. You make me want to be a better person. Thank you.”

Sarah Lufe -Starshots Photography

“Doing this workshop last year was amazing Kate’s ability to teach so passionately and graciously is like no one else I have learnt from. I have done other birth photography courses but this was the most informative and sensitive to the birth space. Kate’s approach is respectful, and I believe that is essential to convey to anyone wanting to learn more about birth photography. Birth photography is such a special and personal genre and to learn from someone who emulates that so effectively is truly special. Any photographer wanting to explore the wonder that is this genre should absolutely come and learn from Kate!”

Salena Brown Photography

“I don’t even know where to start. When I signed up for Kate’s birth workshop I had never captured a birth before, not because I hadn’t been asked but because I didn’t want to go into a birth without the knowledge of what to expect, camera setting wise but also how to capture a birth in a way to be respectful of the birth space and the family in one of the most intimate times of their lives. Kate armed me with the knowledge of when to shoot, when to take a step back and also the way to shoot in those dark surroundings without the use of flash, something I am so passionate about -not being seen. Kate answered every single question with ease. She is one of the most captivating women, I was in awe. Thankyou so much Kate.”

Belinda Wells -Little Blessings Photography