20 Raw And Beautiful Birth Photos Captured By Dutch Photographer Renate Van Lith

Published 4 years ago

Renate van Lith is a Dutch photographer who specializes in birth and newborn photography. She has recently been awarded the prestigious title of International Birth Photographer of the Year 2020 at the Birth Photographer International Image Competition (BPIIC), and says she nearly fell off her chair when she read the news.

The woman says says she entered the world of photography five years ago by accident. “At the time, I was still working as an inspector in the childcare industry. Each civil servant received a career budget that could be spent on something that had nothing to do with their own profession,” explained Renate. “With that money, I followed the basic training at the photography trade school.”

More info: Instagram | Facebook | twitter.com | renatevanlith.nl

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Renate says that at first, she only intended for it to be a hobby but it quickly got out of hand and she even quit her job to follow her passion. “Birth photography is so special. All the emotions you can think of will pass by: relief, tension, exhaustion, sadness, and joy. I see everything through the lens,” says the photographer. “It is very special to be part of that as a photographer. I think it’s great that people trust me to be in such an intimate moment.”

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During the years, Renate attended dozens of deliveries but only does a maximum of two per month. She says that you can’t plan a hundred of these photoshoots in a year since you never know when labor will start and there’s not colleague that she can alternate with. “It is therefore very intense. I have experienced deliveries lasting more than 24 hours,” shared the photographer. “Then, you work non-stop, without a break, and without sleep.”

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Renate is also the founder of the Birth & Beyond Photography Awards, a photography competition for family photographers who capture motherhood and everything that goes into it. “I thought it was important that there were more opportunities for birth photographers to submit their work to photo contests,” says the photographer. “As a lifestyle, fresh 48, and birth photographer, I was often left out with my genre and there was often no competition that suited me. At the Birth & Beyond Photography Awards, there is a special birth category, in addition to more common categories such as pregnancy, newborn, baby, children, and family. Motherhood should be celebrated, right?! All genres are therefore welcome: studio, portrait, fine-art, fresh 48, lifestyle, documentary, posed and un-posed photography, and more.”

See more of Renate’s raw and beautiful birth photos in the gallery below!

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Aušrys Uptas

One day, this guy just kind of figured - "I spend most of my time on the internet anyway, why not turn it into a profession?" - and he did! Now he not only gets to browse the latest cat videos and fresh memes every day but also shares them with people all over the world, making sure they stay up to date with everything that's trending on the web. Some things that always pique his interest are old technologies, literature and all sorts of odd vintage goodness. So if you find something that's too bizarre not to share, make sure to hit him up!

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