When the creators of a birth photography website put out a call for the most incredible moments of motherhood caught on camera, they were not left disappointed.
Birth Becomes Her, a Denver-based website dedicated to capturing the birthing process on film, recently announced the winners of its Moment of Birth Image Contest, and there is enough drama, love and relief among the finalists to pull at the heartstrings of any parent.
‘Birth Becomes Her strives to both support birth photographers from around the world and inspire more people to embrace the beauty of birth,’ said the organizers.
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Mom and baby: Birth Becomes Her announced the winners of their Moment of Birth Image Contest, including this touching moment captured by photographer Rebecca Coursey
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Stars in the Night Sky: This photo, snapped by Hannah Palamara, snagged second place
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Pure joy: This photo of a grinning mom moments after birth received the people’s choice award in the contest
‘Our 2017 Moment of Birth Contest drew images from over a hundred talented birth photographers. After five weeks of judging, our winners were chosen by our esteemed panel of judges.
‘Each of these images are immensely beautiful, executed with technical precision, and incredibly evocative.’
The winner of the contest’s $200 cash prize was a moving image snapped by Rebecca Coursey, entitled Sweet Relief, showing an exhausted mom in a birthing pool lying with her newborn at her chest.
She is looking down at the child’s tiny face while her partner’s hand combs through her hair in a gesture of comfort.
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Lots of love: The contest took five weeks to judge, with 20 images making it to the final round
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All winners: The grand prize won $200, while the second, third and people’s choice images won $100
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Cuddled up: This photo, entitled Sweet Emotion by Krista Evans, shows a father weeping with joy over his smiling partner
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It’s a Girl After Three Boys! This woman screams as she learns that she has had her first girl
Second place in the contest went to Hannah Palamara, with her stunning Stars in the Night Sky image featuring another woman in a birthing pool resting with her newborn, her body just barely visible under the dark water.
Selena Rollason’s black and white image of a baby crowning during birth won the third prize, and Elaine Baca’s Pure Joy, showing a mom grinning broadly with her baby in her arms, was named the people’s choice.
The second and third place winners as well as the people’s choice winner received $100 cash prize in the contest.
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Speechless: This baby has come out of the womb of one mother and into the arms of another
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Looking over: This dad gives his wife a supportive smooch as she gives birth via c-section
Beyond the winners are a wealth of ‘honorable mentions’ who also made the top 20 finalists in the contest.
Among them are images of hands reaching to help lift a newborn to its mother’s chest, fathers weeping with their exhausted partners and babies emerging into birthing pools.
Subjects show expressions of screams to smiles and births including water, live and via c-section.