Today we’d like to introduce you to Casandra Hawkins and Teagan Jacobson.
Casandra and Teagan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was already a photographer, documenting families, weddings + newborns, when I had my first baby at a birth center 3.5 years ago. I think something about experiencing my own labor + delivery in a home-like setting made me really aware of how life-changing the birth process is from start-to-finish — not just the brand-new life you take home with you, but the entire journey that brought her earthside. I felt an instant connection with birth and knew I wanted to document this miraculous event for others; the location, the people, the details, and each difficult, intimate, emotional moment. I was asked to photograph my Birth Boot Camp instructor’s second VBA3C and immediately fell head-over-heels. I felt like I had found my home in the vast photography world, capturing a story as it unfolds in front of me, without any direction or intervention.
-Casandra
Having my own babies awakened my total awe for the birth experience. I started shooting births about five years ago and was instantly hooked. After years of being a wedding and portrait photographer, birth was so refreshing…rather than poses and forced smiles and extra makeup, I get to be a fly on a wall and document women at their strongest and most beautiful.
-Teagan
Has it been a smooth road?
Surprisingly, the transition from documenting scheduled weddings + family sessions to births that could occur at any time, day or night, within a 3-5-week time frame, was not all that difficult. My passion for what I’m doing and the work I’m producing drives me and allows me to take difficulties associated with being a birth professional in stride. Teaming-up with Teagan has been an incredibly smooth process and has worked out well, allowing both of us a respite from the 24/7 on-call life. Being unable to schedule your personal life with any amount of certainty, and going to bed never knowing how much sleep you’ll get before getting “THE call” is definitely a struggle, but one that is well worth it for the “work” we get to do!
-Casandra
My husband is a firefighter and is gone overnight when he works. Oftentimes a momma would go into labor at 2am and I’d be scrambling to find a babysitter for my kiddos in the wee hours of the morning. Casey and I joined forces 2.5 years ago and implemented a rotating 36-hour on-call schedule, so now my shifts fall on nights my hubby is home. It’s been terrific! Another “bump” is just the total unpredictability of birth; we are ready around-the-clock for each client for a 4-5-week window, which means keeping our equipment with us at all times, getting called in on Christmas and our kids’ birthdays, and crashing into bed after taking care of little humans all day only to be woken up 11 minutes later for an all-night birth. But to me these are just the nature of the job, and never ever feel like an inconvenience. The spontaneity of it all is part of my love for it!
-Teagan
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Denton Birth Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We photograph mamas in labor + giving birth, and the immediate postpartum period of skin-to-skin, nursing, bonding, and brand-new baby details. We’re dedicated to doing everything in our power to beautifully + comprehensively document birth stories, capturing all the details that make each one unique. We deliver a much more thorough collection of images than most birth photographers, and incorporate our creativity + professionalism into every session we shoot.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love how diverse Dallas is! I love raising my kids in a city where they can experience urban adventure, mother nature, incredible art, food, music, and events, and meet people from all over the world. Dallas offers at least a little bit of everything, and a lot of almost anything you’re looking for.
There are always downsides to a big buzzing city — traffic, pollution, poverty, to name a few. It’s an incredibly jam-packed city, and certainly doesn’t offer the familiarity that a small town does, but luckily Dallas is surrounded by suburban neighborhoods that encourage more close-knit communities.
Pricing:
- $800 for our birth photography services
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dentonbirth.com
- Phone: 940-536-5017
- Email: dentonbirth@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dentonbirthphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dentonbirthphotography/
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
