I am a firm believer that the gear does not dictate the quality of the image that is delivered. You can use the cheapest camera and still be able to capture a moment better than using the best camera money can buy. What equipment is then necessary for Birth Photography?
The process of a birth sometimes requires a camera body that can handle low light conditions well. A home birth is usually tricky especially when you are faced with low light situations and you do not make use of a flash. Why not then just use a flash? I will go into more depth on the topic of using a Flash for Birth Photography in my next blog post. You want to keep your birth mommy and the birth space a tranquil and undisturbed as possible.
Birth spaces are at times very cramped especially in hospital rooms or theatre spaces. I therefore recommend having a wide angle camera lens. That way you will be able to capture more of the tiny space to not miss out on any detail that you would have otherwise not have been able to get within your small frame of view.
Should you want to capture the tiny details of baby after birth it would be helpful to use a macro lens. This is however an expensive lens and not very versatile. Using a 50mm lens (that won’t break the bank and can be used as an all-round-lens) will be more than sufficient to get the shot.
To save time on switching between lenses it is great when you can use a lens that can shoot both wide angle and take some nice close portrait shots. A lens such as the 24-70mm is definitely a favorite lens for the job. Making use of 2 camera bodies with a different lens on each will also save you time on changing between lenses with the added benefit of having a back-up camera body should the unimaginable happen and one of the cameras fail you mid-birth.
You also need sufficient storage drives for your camera and always have a second charged battery for the camera.
In short and sticking to the bare minimum you will need the following to photograph a birth: 1. Camera, 2. Lens, 3. Storage, 4. Battery
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