Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Vanloon.
Jenna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been a hobbyist photographer most of my life. I’ve also been a surrogate 2x, so when a fellow surrogate asked me to photograph her birth, I was honored and also slightly panicked as most of my experience includes natural light outdoor photography. I took a weekend workshop at a local birthing center and she delivered at the same birth center just a few weeks later. I quit my full-time job in the funeral industry to pursue birth and it’s just taken off. I’ve had the privilege to be present for 14 births this year, my first whole year as a birth photographer.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been a bit of both. Leaving the only profession, I’ve ever known and a dependable paycheck has been incredibly scary. There have been days when I’ve worried about how I’m going to pay the bills every month. And then I book a birth and sigh in relief. It’s been really humbling and it also feels like I’m where I’m supposed to be.
Jenna Van Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Birth photography is a small niche in the photography world. It’s not something every person with a camera is able to do. I’m on call for weeks at a time. I’m woken up at all hours of the night. I can leave my own family at any time including birthdays and special occasions. I’ve been at a birth from as little as 4 hours to up to 24 hours.
It takes a certain kind of person to be invited into such a sacred space. My clients need to feel safe and trust that I will not only capture their story but that I will tell it gracefully and respectfully. Birth is unpredictable and intimate. I know how to read the room and even know when it’s might be time to step out for a few minutes. Sometimes it can be scary and because I’ve experienced my own birth trauma, I feel I can more adequately be present in case something like that happens.
My own birth experiences, my photography background,and my current doula training allow me to offer my clients a unique experience. I can act as a fly on the wall to tell their story documentary style or I can also provide support for the birth experience they plan and hope for. I have experienced birth in all settings, from home birth to birth centers, to hospitals. Medicated and unmedicated and I’ve even been so lucky to be invited into the OR for c-sections.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is personal growth. It’s not about how many births I’m invited into, it’s about how much I’ve grown and continue to grow in order to do justice to each birth story I get to tell.
Contact Info:
- Website: jennavanphotography.com
- Phone: 817-614-8871
- Email: jennavanphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downtobirthphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downtobirthphotography
Image Credit:
The photo of me was taken by Lillie Duncan – the other photos are mine
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