The Arrival of Stella

The anticipation of being called into duty to document the arrival of Stella began to intensify as Nikki's pregnancy carried on beyond her due date. I periodically went through my gear making sure all my batteries were charged, lenses were cleaned, and equipment was neatly packed and ready to go. I knew that at a moment's notice I could be called in to photograph one of the most intense experiences of my entire life.

The call came in at 7am on April 10th. Nikki called to say that she was feeling some contractions and that she felt as though she would likely be admitted to the hospital some time later that day. Then, at around 9pm, I received a call from Robert stating that Nikki was at the hospital and it was "go time." GO TIME! Holly and I grabbed the gear and flew up to Vancouver as quickly as possible. During the drive, Holly and I talked about how excited we were to have an opportunity to photograph a live birth.

Naturally, we feel honored when couples hire us to photograph their wedding. Being photographers grants us a tremendous level of access into people's personal lives. We regularly get to share some of the most important days in peoples' lives. But we knew that documenting Stella's birth was going to be a truly unique experience -- something truly phenomenal.

Holly and I arrived at the hospital and the next thing we knew we were immediately rushed into the Delivery Room! I recall the excitement very vividly. The look on Robert's face - the proud look of a man about to become a father. The look on Nikki's face - ready to present her beautiful new baby to the world. The look on the doctor's face - steady, calm, and pensive. The look on my face - well, let's just say that I was very focused on capturing this most amazing experience of all.

Welcome Stella! Watching you be brought into this world is an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Thank you so much.

All our love,
Holly & Paul

Stella was delivered at 12:02 am on April 11, 2008. She weighs 7 pounds 4 ounces.






















Technical Notes: I needed to be as unobtrusive as possible throughout the entire photo session. Using a flash was certainly out of the question. I also needed to restrict my movement. The delivery team asked that I stay in one general location. All images were shot at 1600 ASA at apertures ranging from 1.8-5.6 on a Canon 5D with a 28mm lens.