Photographers from around the world are being awarded for breathtaking images that capture the miracle and pure emotion of childbirth, as well as the heartbreaking moments of loss.
The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IABP) has announced the winners of the 11th annual Birth Photography Competition, which celebrates the best images of labor and birth in 2021.
“We are incredibly proud of this year’s contestants because, despite all we have experienced in our community in recent years, this contest demonstrates the resilience with which birth photographers must overcome unforeseen challenges,” IAPBP Director Liz Cooke said in a press release. release.
Winners were selected from five main categories: Birth Details, Birth, Birth, Postpartum, and Hardship and Loss, a new category that was introduced this year.
“We want to honor the memory of 1 in 4 women in labor who have experienced a miscarriage and/or loss, and inviting images of these events to our birthday party is one way to do that,” Cook explained.
“We are proud to present you with an exciting work that tells the highlights of life from 2021.”
First Place: Brazilian photographer Barbara Aviz of Bárbara Aviz Fotografia won the competition with her touching image titled “Touch of Love”.
Best in Childbirth: Sarah Hunter from the USA was honored for her black and white photo titled Ovarian Cancer Survivor – Transfer to Hospital.
Best in Delivery: Australian photographer Ebony Allen-Ankins took first place with her emotional First Look.
Best of Postpartum: American photographer Jessica Miles’ First Latch of Twins captures the sweet moment of a mother breastfeeding her babies for the first time.
Participants’ Choice: American photographer Sarah Hunter documented the touching moment between a father and his newborn baby in her “Crying Dad” snapshot.
Honorable Mention: Dora Barens of the Netherlands was honored for her photo titled “A Touch of Love”.
Best in delivery: German photographer Danny Merz captures aquatic birth in his image titled “Blessed Exhaustion.”
Best in delivery: American photographer Sarah Hunter documented a water birth in her black-and-white photo titled “Dad catches his baby girl.”
Postpartum Best: Endless Love by Inge Berken from the Netherlands captures a quiet moment between mother and baby.
Honorable Mention: Australian photographer Jessica Henderson won the award for her touching family photo titled ‘Daughters of the Midwife’.
Birth at its best: Surrender by Renate Van Liet from the Netherlands captures the transcendent moment of being born in water.
Best In Delivery: “Euforia” by Inge Berken from the Netherlands was one of the best photos in the competition.
Best in childbirth: Mexican photographer Sarah Avila documented a tearful expectant mother on the phone in the delivery room in her snapshot titled “Adopting a New Plan.”
Honorable Mention: American photographer Lindsey Bartell was honored in the competition for her image “Spent”.
Honorable Mention: Exhale by American photographer Natalie Broders captures the sweet moment after giving birth.
Honorable Mention: American photographer Lindsey Ellis was honored for her black-and-white photograph titled “Bend Over Me.”
Best in Birth Details: Australian photographer Dania Loren captured the stressful moment of childbirth in her ‘Tiniest Feet’ shot.
Honorable Mention: American photographer Jacinta Lagos captured the blissful postpartum moment in her ‘Ecstasy’ photo.
Best postpartum: American photographer Hayden Thrace’s ‘Swimming through interstellar space’ shot from a bird’s eye view
Honorable Mention: Sadie Wilde from the United Kingdom was honored for her photograph titled “The World of the Womb to Our World”.
Participants’ Choice: Cindy Willems from the Netherlands creatively approached her working photo titled “White Noise”.
Best in Birth: “My Sacred Birth Cocoon” by Jessica Innemie, The Netherlands was one of the top entries in the competition.
Honorable Mention: Ebony Allen-Ankins of Australia was honored for her magical Into the Night photo.
Birth details at their best: American photographer Lindsey Bartell’s “She Roars” captures the intense moment of childbirth
Encouraging Mention: Russian photographer Lyubov Chaikovskaya captured a mother breastfeeding her baby and newborn at the same time in the film Life-giving Nectar.
Best Postpartum: Reunion by American photographer Rachel Utain-Evans was another best image in the competition.
Honorable Mention: Canada’s Vannessa Brown was honored for her black and white delivery photo titled “Love and Support.”
Honorable Mention: A crying mother is the subject of Canadian photographer Ashley Marston’s Transition Tears.
Honorable Mention: German photographer Susanne Krauss was honored for her black-and-white image titled “Quiet Birth During a Pandemic.”
Best in Birth Details: American photographer Brittney Hogue has been honored for her postpartum image titled “Nuchal”.
Honorable Mention: American photographer Natalie Weber was honored for her heartbreaking shot titled “Reach.”
Honorable Mention: German photographer Charlene Foertser captures kissing from new parents in her work titled This Is Us.