I’ve known Paul, an affable and professional host, for many years through the media industry. I first met Leila when she was working as a doula; she recommended me to a family who needed remembrance photography.
Years later, our paths came full circle when I was invited to photograph the arrival of their baby, Evan. The call came early that morning. Unlike many of the calls I receive in the middle of the night about a baby, this one was filled with the promise of new life.
A different kind of beginning.
Photographing a live birth was emotionally powerful for me. Much of my voluntary work is with babies whose lives are ending, or who have already died. Here, I was witnessing a life begin.
I felt the contrast deeply. But my role remained the same: to observe, work quietly and document what was happening.
Evan’s first moments.
The home offered a different setting from the hospital births I had known. There was music and warm light, and people spoke loving words around Leila. The atmosphere was intense, but also tender.
It made me realise how meaningful a baby’s first experience of the world can be—to arrive gently, surrounded by familiar voices and love. This was the beginning Paul and Leila had hoped to give Evan.
Evan’s first moments were not simply witnessed. They were held—by his parents, his family and the home that welcomed him.