When I Need Help Helping, I Ask
I am feeling heavy tonight and all of the sudden it is 1:00 AM and I am wide ass awake and typing away.
I have been thinking so much about the career I am running down, and being the best I can at it, being sure to dream up creative ways to tell the story of pregnancy. This is all coming on the heels of realizing that the subject matter I have chosen to focus on (maternity series & documenting births) is something that isn’t traditionally done by men. I never really stopped to think about it before (and feel kind of dumb for not realizing it actually). I just went so quickly from photographing Cole week to week and being swept in by the emotion of watching a little human person grow and come into this world-- that I just knew that was what I wanted to photograph and focus my attention on. Life happening. How amazing to get to photograph that kind of joy, and anticipation, and nervous buzz and hum of a brand new meeting on a regular basis. It wasn’t until I put myself out there and tried to find some clients that I realized… “you are a dude, and people think it is weird that you want to do this.” I had some cancellations, some NO ways, some possibilities not work out, I was honestly blind sided by the oversight on my part that this is a niche in the photography world that is largely filled by women. Great.
So it isn’t back to the drawing board or anything, it is just something that will take time. As a body of work forms, the photo essays will speak volumes, and the right clients will find me, and I will find them. It is just frustrating (and I am venting a little) I am not worried about it not happening. I just had that slap in the head moment of “this isn’t going to be easy dummy.” So while having these amazing experiences witnessing the glow of new life radiating from photo subjects, and being able to be around excited happy mothers hell bent on healthy pregnancies and birth plans, with supportive husbands in tow, it forced me to think of the other side of all of this. I started thinking about the millions of women who are terrified to have their babies, the millions of women who know that labor could mean the end of their own lives. I couldn't stop thinking how unfair it is that moms in other parts of the world will not meet their babies in a clean safe supportive environment, these new lives will begin with pain, and stress, and for way to many of these newborns losing their mothers along the way. It isn't fair. So much of this can be turned around with education and the training of new Midwives in these parts of the world.
All of that had been building and getting the fire in my belly sparking while I was trying my best at research and letter writing in an attempt to capture the other side of this photography. I want to tell stories through pictures about efforts that are being made to battle back devastating maternal and infant mortality rates. Half a million woman around the world die each year from giving birth-- there are some amazing groups that put together missions to educate and teach midwifery to keep expectant mothers out of dangerous birthing conditions, and really create the opportunity for the birth of their babies to be experienced in safety and harmony, and it’s an incredible and brave effort, and I want to tell these stories, and well… I am stuck. I have tried all of the ways that I know how to reach out and make this happen or even start a dialogue to make this happen, and I have been unsuccessful so far. I just feel like I am asking to help and people are like… why? I want to help bring these stories to an audience that can make a difference. This is important work being done all over the world, and the more people know, the better chance these kinds of things continue to happen.
I know Haiti has been on everyone’s mind and I have to say that even before the earthquake struck the maternal mortality rate in Haiti was one of the highest in the world and I can’t even begin to imagine what is going on post earthquake devastation to expectant and new mothers in Haiti. Think of how important midwives could be to these nervous mothers in the face of all that is happening right now, think of the role they could be playing. Anyone know if the Red Cross is taking Midwife volunteers? They should be. And then I saw this ARTICLE while I was looking for that answer, and was relieved that is was being addressed to some degree, but I am sure more help is needed. Seriously read the article, follow the link. I will know if you do.
So with that said I am taking suggestions and gathering experiences from anyone who has ventured into humanitarian photography before, anyone that does it now, anyone that has some insight please send along an email located in the About Me tab up there in the ol handy tool bar. Or perhaps you are a midwife who has volunteered before and you can point me in the right direction, I really appreciate it.
All the Love in the Universe ~ Me
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36 comments:
I like this unusual late-night post :)
If topics such as maternal mortality are important to you, I HIGHLY recommend reading "Half the Sky" by Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn! It's a great book about overcoming oppression and horrible things that happen to women, lots of good info, and the authors are husband & wife reporters that travel all over the world and go into these 3rd-world areas and know what they're talking about.
Link: http://bit.ly/9olk7b
@nickkristof is on twitter, too. Hope this helps!
I admire you recognizing a need and then rallying for it even though you hit road blocks along the way. Keep it up!
First off, I have to say that I am a little surprised you are having such a difficult time breaking into the maternity photos. I think it would be completely flattering to have a guy such as yourself take pictures of me at such a special time in my life. Every week that passes in this pregnancy, I wish I lived in Florida.
Secondly, I admire you for wanting to do this important work of documenting birth issues around the world. I know you mentioned the Red Cross, and I don't know if he'll be able to help, but my cousin works there ... I'll ask him if he has any ideas on how you can break into this.
i'm embarrassed to admit that i hadn't even thought of the pregnant women in haiti . . . and i'm even a pregnant woman myself. thank you so much for bringing this eye-opening article to my attention. i will surely pass it on to my friends.
I have been a huge fan of your blog for a long time. Here is an organization that is promoting healthy birth in Bali, Haiti, and Aceh. As a side note, they have the best logo ever.
http://www.bumisehatbali.org/
Keep up the great work
Good topic Ryan.
I actually organized an event last year for the health dept. acknowledging how important our midwives are down here. As a 130 mile long county with only one hospital eqipped to handle births women down here rely on them, as I'm sure women in many rural areas of the country do.
It's great to see you focus your talent on something you are passionate about :)
Lately, I've been looking into the organization called "Now I lay me down to sleep". I want to do something different with my photography and make an impact in someone's life...I feel this is the way to do it. It is an organization that keeps photographers on call in certain areas (wherever you live) for when a baby is born that is probably not going to make it. You rush over to take some nice pictures so the family will have quality pictures to remember the baby by. I know it's depressing but I feel it's a small thing I could do for a grieving family. It's all volunteer and you have to apply to get accepted as one of their photographers. It's just been on my mind a lot lately, mostly wondering if I could handle something like that...but I think it applies to what you're talking about
good morning!
an unusual sight indeed, this late night/ early am post. i think these are often ignored yet very important topics and questions you raise. as far as your owwn access to women and babies, i wonder if it would help you professionally to take some sort of doula training as well. i can see that as being of great value to any woman, and a true Value Add on your resume. from the little i know, it is a female dominated field, but in my mind i say all the more reason to get involved. break a barrier, be a part of the solution, set the example. Then, you could have the ticket to the humanitarian issues you want to document as well. having a course or certification or some junk under your belt might help you make more contacts as well.
As you know, there are many many projects that are involved in womens issues, Stephen Lewis being a champion for attention at the international (UN) level. I am lucky, I live in Canada where access to midwives is increasing as the govt now sees the benefit and relief to the healthcare system midwives provide through national recognition and patient coverage.
These are really tough issues; the statistics are baffling. What a great thing to be involved in, birth and life. I think if anyone can do it, you can.
I shot my first pregnancy (not the whole story just the end belly photos)a few weeks ago and as a woman I found myself even uncomfortable and a little out of my "zone." Pregnancy is a super intimate thing, from conception to delivery, especially with new first-time parents and it's a lot to find yourself within that aura and be able to capture all the emotion in a photograph. I admire you for doing it so beautifully and with true desire to do it thoroughly.
Thank you for providing the link to the article on the women's health crisis in Haiti. At the end of the article is a link for Circle of Health International, a international volunteer organization for women's health. It is something I would love to do in the future after I become a certified nurse midwife.
I also wanted to mention that I am surprised you are meeting some resistance when it comes to photographing pregnancy and birth. I would think that your beautiful photography would speak for itself.
xox - I just sent you a link
wow...@marley
I get welled up just thinking about that
My dad told me about women giving birth in the streets of Haiti as complete strangers look on (the British media does a much better job of reporting on international issues than the US - I had no idea). He feels so bad for them and is hoping they are getting the care and attention they need. I am so proud of you and my Dad for having such big hearts and for your compassion for women in crisis. I wish you all the best in your attempts to help raise awareness of the need for midwives around the world, and I hope you get some more maternity photography work soon. Your creativity is inspiring and I echo the sentiments of others - I would hire you in a heartbeat to document this pregnancy if I lived in Florida. Good luck!!
Hello everyone, comments and emails are so appreciated thanks so much, Cole and I have been juggling a puker since 5AM and I have been absent to respond to your comments. So I wanted to be sure to at least say thank you and i will be following every lead and suggestion and thank you, thank you :)
Keep them coming. & please and pass on the link to that story.
Ask and you shall receive. As Nicole's cousin and a Red Cross employee I can answer (part) this question for you.
The situation in Haiti is extremely complicated from the Red Cross point of view. The operation is run on an international level - so the American Red Cross everyone knows here really has no control over the situation - unless the International Red Cross has asked for it. The only volunteers that are really there from the American side are international mental health and response officers, whose main job is logistics and delivery of emergency supplies / food, water, FA supplies, etc...
Now, if not the Red Cross then who? Well, probably the WHO or UN – someone on an international health stage would be "in charge" of organizing any sort of international health response. A struggle the Red Cross has is explaining exactly what they do. Most Red Cross organizations provide disaster relief, preparedness information and first response (although the US does not do this).
A page with more info on Haiti from the Red Cross: http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/response/haiti/index.asp
I think it's safe to say that I don't pay much attention to what goes on in this world. I've got tunnel vision on the life I live, opportunities I have, and the little things that make me feel crabby and unfortunate. Every now and then I read an article, like the one you linked to, that gives a glimpse of the poor conditions and sufferings of people in other parts the world. And especially with being a mother, and being pregnant again, that article really hit me with how lucky I am, and with how much we all need to be helping.
Honestly, while reading that article all I could think was "I should become a midwife and go help." Sadly that's an unrealistic thought for me, but as a mother, as a woman, and as a human being I want to help.
I really hope you are able to find a way to do what you are hoping to help these women. You are a good man, Ryan.
Sorry I don't have any connections for the humanitarian photography, but I think it's a great idea. As for being a male doing pregnancy photography - I wouldn't worry about it. I had a guy do my preggo photos. He was a friend, but I would definately recommend him to anyone. I think when people see your work - they will want you - no matter your gender.
I just had a baby, but I will get pregnant again JUST so you can photograph my journey. I love your work and don't think its wierd at all that your a man and interested in pregnancy. While I was pregnant, I discovered most men are fascinated by it and hit on me even more. I was even asked by a guy at the pool one day if he could take a picture of "the most perfect pregnant belly he'd ever seen." THAT was wierd.
Just like everything else that isn't typical... it just has to catch on. Plus, some women are incredibly insecure about the pregnant bellies!
Very good of you to bring up the maternal mortality rate in the poorest countries. As American's...most of us know that when we choose to have children, we will have all the science and care that doctor's and midwife's can provide and be in a safe environment. Its very sad that there are so many women that are deprived of such a beautiful experience and forced to bring their babies into the world in bad situations.
In case you haven't yet come across it, I think you'd be interested in a book called "Half the Sky" by pulitzer prize winners NIcholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (they're married). The books sheds light on the struggle of women (as well as individuals and organizations that help them) to gain better health care and education. Stories about specific women especially in different parts of the developing world impress and inspire.
Thank you for candidly sharing your journey and thoughts along the way. Best of luck!
Have you heard of Craft Hope? Maybe you can sell prints off your site and donate all proceeds or a portion to Haiti. When the Tsunami hit a few years ago, I bought plain canvas bags and painted cherry blossom trees on them. For one weekend my parents, husband, and I worked like crazy on an assembly line, putting out these bags. Just having a few hundred people reading my blog back then was enough that even after all the costs of supplies, shipping, and postage, I was still able to send $250 to the Red Cross in just one weekend of work and selling these bags. And I emailed you!
I just googled midwife training international - here's a bunch of organisations.
http://www.globalmidwives.org/
http://www.midwifeassist.org/about.html
http://www.blackmidwives.org/
You may also want to consider doing a doula course. As a homebirther, I know I would have wanted to create a relationship with my photographer (which I think you are doing through the pregnacy photography) - but its another avenue to consider.
You could also put together a package for local midwives/doulas for them to share with their clients.
Photographer Jonathan Canlas (a dude) has taken some of the most beautiful "Birth Story" photos I've ever seen...I wouldn't have even considered his being a male in wanting to hire him to shoot such a sacred event. Point: your work will speak for itself and create opportunity.
2. My sister and bro-in-law are a professional photography duo...although his main gig is a producer. For the next three weeks he is in Haiti serving as a translator/photographer. He has been there several times before - as a missionary and as a tourist, but, most recently, he went with a group from Yele Haiti to act as Wyclef Jean's personal photographer on the trip. Check out Amelialyon.net for details and contact info. She or her husband, Justin, could probably offer some great advice on humanitarian photography.
I think it is so great that you are interested in photographing births and telling their stories. I had a homebirth in August and one of my midwives has been working in Haiti for a long time (she just happened to be back in the states around my birth) and maybe somehow you could connect with her?
http://midwifejonna.blogspot.com/
She is pretty amazing.
I had a look on the internet and came across this man http://garyschapman.com
You have probably already seen his site, but you should send him an email and ask his advice.
Have you also tried contacting hospitals and major organisations such a Red Cross or in Haiti - Medecins Sans Frontieres?
Speaking as a lady who has given birth, would I want you in the room taking pictures?
If I had never met you before - no. Not because of you because of me. I am shy and didn't know what I would do. It's the fear of the unknown. The less people that saw me the better.
Would I want pictures if I knew you now? hell yes! You have empathy and you understand your partner.
So I think what I am trying to say is that the more people who know about you the better. You will find your clients. That much fire in the belly can't be wasted.
If you were in my town, I would have been honored to have what you created for Cole, even though you don't have a vag.
Sorry, I've got nuthin. But, I admire you for all of your ideas and passions. I dont think it's wierd at all!
Hi Ryan ...
Been some time since I've been in the Panic Room, and it does my heart good to be back! As a former Doula (or at least a non-working one at the moment) I'd like to suggest that you make contact with Doulas (in addition to Midwives) in your area to explore opportunities to work with preggae mamas. And this link to midwifery work in Haiti might be of interest to you and Cole: http://www.bumisehatbali.org/
Big love to each of you!
~ Jacqueline
I love the way you think.
Firstly, after teaching pre-natal yoga for years now I have to tell you one thing - not many pregnant women feel beautiful. There are so many hormones flooding their body, they are experiencing so many physical, emotional and mental changes that unfortunately beauty doesn't always fall into their self-perception. If I see a pregnant women on the street or at the shops I make a point of telling her that she is glowing, that she is beautiful. And perhaps I am the only one that has said that to her in nine months. Which is where you come in...keep taking photos because they encourage women to see beauty in the belly, in the curves, in the softness of their face.
My partner photographed me when I was 40weeks pregnant and at the time I felt so heavy, so challenged. But when Ché turned 1 I looked at the photo and saw the beauty...and it's a picture I'll cherish forever - http://cheandfidel.blogspot.com/2008/09/30-days-of-gratitude-8.html
That's what you need to convince women of...that they're beautiful now, please can I take your photo because you'll cherish it one day!
Soulemama http://www.soulemama.com/mama_to_mama/ has connections to maternity services in Haiti because last year she encouraged her readers to make newborn hats and ended up collecting 5523 baby hats. She may be able to give you names and contact details.
Blessings on this journey....I look forward to following.
Ryan, thanks so much for this post and the link to that article, which was heartbreaking. If I think about the reality of that situation too much my head starts to spin.
I think that using your gift to document the situation over there is noble and worthwhile. And above all else important. It's important that the reality, as gruesome and terrifying as it is, is shown to the world. We all need to be shaken out of our apathy and self obsession.
Last year I spent two months volunteering in a disabled childrens home in Nepal (I'm a medical social worker). The hopelessness and powerlessness I experienced almost broke me. To see children in so much pain, dying from totally preventable illnesses while others looked on as if their life was worth nothing, was almost too much for me to bear.
By the end of my time there I found myself becoming inhuman. I had so much resentment toward the people and the culture. I felt nothing. I couldn't care anymore. I even wished that some of the very sick children would die so it would end their suffering.
Coming back to reality, and back to work in a medical setting in a Western country made me bitter. I hated all the middle class people with everything at their finger tips complaining about their hard lot in life.
After a few months my perspective returned, but there were some days where I thought that my heart for people was ruined forever.
I encourage you to follow where you heart pulls you, and that you don't lose your mind in the process.
Arohanui,
Naomi
Only speaking to your apprehensiveness towards maternity/photograpy, I have a male friend that does intimate maternity portraiture. He just makes sure to always have a female assistant with him to sort of 'speak the language' and make a potentially uncomfortable environment a little more comfy for the mom-to-be. A simple thing that maybe you didn't think of...
@ Sondra- I think you might have misread my post a little.
heartbreaking.
i wish it was 10 years from now and i was a midwife (at least, I hope and think that is where my current path is taking me) and I could be there!
Ryan, you do a good thing here.
Yes. Midwives would be a tremendous support in Haiti.
I have 2 midwife friends. I will ask them what they are doing to help.
it were fiscally possible and practical...i would get pregnant, fly from san diego to florida, and pay you every week to take my picture....or maybe fly you from florida to san diego...that might be easier...or something.
Actually, while I think it admirable that you want to help other countries with their infant and mother mortality and morbidity rates, there is work closer to home to be done.
In the U.S. we have one of the worst mother/infant death rates compared to any other industrialized country.
Our c-section rate is out of control. Doctors have forgotten that women are designed in such a way as to give birth. Doctors no longer want to wait in the hospital for 36 hours+ and wait for a mother to labor.
They use tricks such as "slow progression" and "deceleration" things that are a NORMAL part of labor to scare the mother into a c-section.
We need to get a better grip on our maternal/fetal healthcare before we wind up in the same situation as third-world countries.
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