BRIGITTE MOM: How did you come to specialize in birth photography?
Cindy Villmann: My life partner and I have been making family reports for a long time, which means that we accompany families with their cameras in their everyday life. These often include couples who have just had a baby. We document the special time of the puerperium, some couples have photos taken of the pregnancy beforehand. I had long thought that the intermediate piece is still missing in our work: the birth of the child. When our second daughter was born, we commissioned a photographer to document the event. We liked it so much that in 2018 I decided to offer birth photography myself.
Your "first time" – how was it then?
It was a home birth for a woman I had already taken baby bump pictures of. During the shoot, she asked me if I could also accompany her birth. It was super exciting for me. Just like the midwife, I am on call around the time of the birth. So I had my photo bag ready packed at home when the expectant mother called. It was her second child, the birth went very quickly. When I arrived I had only a few minutes to take photos – then the baby was already there.
Do you have many requests for birth photos?
The number is slowly increasing, but in general accompanying documentary family photography is not yet so well known in Germany. We still do a lot of educational work, including on social media. Many mothers who see the pictures there give us the feedback that they would have liked such an accompaniment if they had known about it. So the interest grows.
How do you explain the growing interest?
Since the birth of our daughter was also photographed, I can speak from my own experience. Birth is a one-time event. There is enormous power and intense emotions in it, from despair and anger to love and huge happiness. But as a woman, I don't see and experience myself in this situation. I don't notice many things or don't remember them afterwards because I'm so focused or sometimes overwhelmed. When I have the photos afterwards, they help me to close some gaps in the birth process. It is also exciting for me to see myself in this situation. What is particularly touching is the moment when I hold the baby in my arms for the first time – an image that you normally wouldn't have without a photographer.
So do the photos help to process the birth mentally?
Yes, many women say that. They say that they needed the pictures. We usually process what we have experienced in conversations with those who were there, but you often don't take the time. The pictures make it easier for the women to review the birth. This is an important process for many, no matter how the birth went.
Are you more involved in home births than in hospitals?
That is mixed. I take pictures in clinics as well as at home or in birthing centers. There are also about as many first-time mothers among them as families who already have children. I have not yet photographed a Caesarean section.
How do midwives and doctors react?
So far, everyone has responded positively and with interest. I have never had a case where it was refused to be with the camera. When it comes to home births, women are in close contact with the midwives, who are in favor of my work. In the clinics, the couples announce my company in advance, so far there have been no problems. In most clinics here in Berlin, two people are allowed into the delivery room, and I am one of them *. The doctors only refuse to come to the operating room in the event of an emergency Caesarean section.
What is important so that everyone involved works well together?
The most important thing is open communication. I discuss with the couple beforehand that they should tell me at any time if they are not feeling well or if something is bothering them. I tell them that it is perfectly okay for me to go out or stop taking pictures if I wish. Of course, this also applies to midwives or doctors – it can happen that I am sent out of the room briefly, e.g. because an investigation is being done. I also stay in the background and have developed a feel for how I have to behave in order not to disturb.
Is it agreed beforehand what can be photographed? Are there any taboos for you?
Not really. Women in particular want pictures of all details, be it the placenta or the moment when the baby's head appears. You decide for yourself what you will later show to other people. Of course, I have a sensitive eye and, as a photographer, make sure that I get across every moment.
What is it like to be in such intimate situations?
For me it is very special. It is the most emotional thing I can photograph. And it's incredibly exciting because I can't plan anything at all. At best, I know the location of the event, but neither the exact time nor the sequence or the lighting conditions. It is challenging and exciting. And I consider it a gift that I get the trust from the couples and be one of the few people who experience this event with them.
Aren't you sometimes worried that taking pictures distracts you while giving birth?
No, because I now know that I can assess the situations well. Interestingly, fathers are more concerned that they may interfere with photography. So far I have always been able to take this worry away from you in the preliminary talks.
Are there moments that you particularly remember?
What always impresses me most is the strength of women during childbirth.
Birth used to be something very intimate. Is it a positive development that we get more insight through photographs?
Definitely. The more women deal with births, the better we are able to find out what we need and want at birth – and to express these wishes. Birth pictures can be a good support.
Cindy Villmann, 38, and her partner Kay Hallfahrth offer documentary photography as "Cindy and Kay". Cindy also photographs births. The couple lives in Berlin and has two children.
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