Wedding photographer Megan Mattiuzzo probably knows a thing or two about high-pressure situations.
After all, any wedding photographer can tell you that it isn’t the easiest job.
Knowing all of this, Megan Mattiuzzo decided that, when it came time for her to give birth, she was going to be her own childbirth photographer.
She told PetaPixel: “I’m used to capturing moments that you can’t retake…So when I found out I was pregnant, I knew that I wanted to capture my son’s first breath, first moments, seeing his face for the first time. …[My doctor] told me that it would be fine for me to attempt the photos due to having a healthy pregnancy. She said she had no reason for concern and that as long as I was okay on that day, she would be totally fine with me doing it.”
As for her chosen equipment, Megan decided on using a Nikon D5 DSLR and Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens. She was scheduled to receive an epidural to help control the pain of childbirth and allow her to take pictures but that didn’t go as smoothly as Megan and her medical team had hoped.
The article does contain pictures of childbirth, so be forewarned. You can check those out here on PetaPixel.
She explained to PetaPixel: “Due to a failed epidural that was not 100% effective, I was able to feel the right side of my body and a spot on my left abdomen…When it was time to start pushing, my husband [Ryan]’s job was to hand [the camera] to me when it was time for the last push. …While pushing for an hour and 15 mins, I had him hand me the camera to set my settings. I was able to set these setting between two contractions while a nurse held one leg and my mother held the other leg. I made the doctor laugh when I had her tell the nurse to turn off the room lights and put the giant spotlights on above the bed to make for a better photo.”
She concluded, “I took the camera and tucked my chin to my chest, rested the camera on my stomach, pulled my head to the viewfinder, and started pushing…I then saw a moment I will never forget… my son’s hair… then his head… then his body… all while shooting. It was the most amazing moment of my life.”
Check out Megan Mattiuzzo here on her website, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also read about the story over on FStoppers by clicking here.
