The Beginning of Being

“What am I doing?” I whispered to myself.

I don’t even know what all the buttons do on my camera and yet there I stood in the corner of the room while she gave life to a person. I felt totally unqualified to capture such an event, but I couldn’t stop clicking and soaking in all the magic before me.

We watched her every move. She was deep in her work, working her way through every contraction, every doubt. I kept shooting, he rubbed her back, we waited and hoped we were doing it right. Somewhere in the midst of struggle, we discover the knowing. She knows how to bring life. He knows how to believe in her. The baby knows how to be born. I know how to hold that moment. Forever.

We all take our place, it is the beginning of being.

Where is your place to be today?  What moment are you holding in your lens?  What beginning do you want to honor?  The comments are all yours today, and special thanks to birth photographer Patience Salgado for being our guest.

Comments

[Tracey Clark]

wow patience. thank you so much for sharing this with us.

i am at the beginning as i witness the pure joy of being six. when nothing else matters except the very minute you are in. the very breath you are taking. the very feeling that makes you perfectly whole and perfectly happy.
http://www.traceyclark.com/blog/2009/6/16/bliss.html

[kosenrufu mama]

this picture is amazing!! i cry for the emotion! thank you for sharing this shoot.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23206424@N07/3628794672/
http://esterdaphne.blogspot.com/

[Toni | Daily Vignette]

This is a totally different type of beginning, but I have my first agricultural photo shoot today. Hopefully it will be the beginning of many more. =)

[Patty Reiser]

My beginning...surviving the summer with the kids being home from school. And still try to work. LOL

My son had fun at the park yesterday... http://camerapatty.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/potd-61609/

And then I got to have some fun... http://camerapatty.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/potd-061709/

Wishing you a scent-sational Wednesday!
Patty

[Marcie]

WOW! What a powerful image!!!
I begin before the day...as the sun rises and casts its first light:

http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=821

[Alicia]

I'm celebrating an anniversary of my blog. It's amazing to look back over the past year and realize how much has happened, how beautiful and full life was the past 365 days. I've grown as a photographer so greatly... From the small town girl who moved to the city clicking her tiny point-and-shoot every which way, to a city girl with her dslr studying and looking for the perfect moments to capture... the ones that someone else may not see, the ones that remind you instantly of the moment that was caught. In celebration of the last year, and my growth as a photographer, I'm also giving away a print (which will be the first print I will have given away since I realized just how much I Love photography).

http://aliandsethinthecity.blogspot.com/2009/06/1-year-giveaway.html

I'm also hoping for a chance at a new beginning tonight... something that would change my life for the better, something that would probably make me pinch myself to see if I'm actually awake and breathing. Any positive thoughts you'd like to send my way will be sweetly taken :)

[Vanessa]

what an amazing post... and stunning photo (and flickr set). thank you for sharing!

life is a string of beautiful beginnings: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3633406894/

[renee @ FIMBY]

wow, what a photo - fantastic.

[camerashymomma]

it's amazing isnt' it? an experience i will never forget. i was asked to photograph a friend's homebirth last year and it was one of the most powerful moments of my life. it helped me process my own homebirth in new ways and remember the strength of human spirit.

thanks for this today, for this remembering. this is what i'll carry with me today.

[mrs. e]

Great photo. Such a private, important moment!

My place today is wide open spaces. When the claustraphobia of the world closes in, I have to remember--endless fields, blue skies, and fluffy white clouds. There are three pictures on this link.

http://erickfam.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-countryside-is-canvas.html

[Puna]

Extremely powerful moment. How wonderful that you are there to capture it.

[elk]

what a beautiful image thank you so much for this moment.

just knowing that if the bird can do it I'll try too::

http://www.redorgray.com/2009/06/never-stop.html

[Wayfaring Wanderer]

What an INTENSE moment! You are more than qualified I'd say!!

Beginning to travel again! I am sooooooooo happy that winter is behind me :o)

http://www.wayfaringwanderer.com/2009/06/appalachian-trail-days-in-damascus-va.html

~WW

[Jenny Rebecca]

Oh my goodness, that photo leaves me speechless.

It seems to pale in comparison to the above picture but I'd like to honor my fledgling mini-career (hopefully) as a children & family photographer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fanglord2/3423389187/in/set-72157616415794707/

[Jen Zahigian]

What a powerful photograph and beautifully written too.

I just wrote a post titled "Into the New" on my Photoblog yesterday. This is my first week of 'new' life after being laid-off from my day-job. Today I'm at the beginning of new opportunity and exploration. Now that the shock has worn off, I'm actually kind of excited!

http://jenzahigian.blogspot.com/2009/06/into-new.html

[shelli - mama of letters]

What an incredible image! Thank you for sharing it. It's very poignant to me since I'm going to have my second child in less than two months:


http://www.mamaofletters.com/Site/The_Focal_Point/Entries/2009/6/8_Self-Portrait_-_7_Months_Pregnant.html

[Monica]

Oh sooo cool. I saw this shot on flickr just 2 days ago and now ... here! LOVE it.

[beth]

I just sent my son on his way...an 8 hour drive... to southern indiana where he will be a ymca camp counselor for the rest of the summer. he's only 17 and this is a huge step for me...letting go...letting him go that far away without me getting him there, at least.

here's to new beginnings.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29291473@N04/3635959130/

[vivienne]

wow patience! i just looked at the entire set of this little one's beginning and they tell such a gorgeous and truthfull story! you do wonderful work!

[Mishelle Lane/ Secret Agent Mama]

Oh My Goodness. This picture is the best!

[Betty Jo]

What a powerful image!!

A new beginning for me is that just today I've been offered a photo job. My first "real" photo job. An incredible cafe/restaurant wants me to photo their awesome food for their website! I've never done anything like this before, but they have seen some of my photos on Flickr and love my work! It's a great opportunity and I'm very grateful.

[Mariella]

Such moving photos -- gave me goosebumps. Beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing them and for your honesty (I wonder if I'll ever figure out all the buttons on my camera!). You inspire me and have given me that little nudge I need to just go for it! xoxo, ~ M.

[kae]

he beginning of a family of four...
the beginning of parenthood (again)
the beginning of sisterhood
the beginning of life...

http://kvandphotography.blogspot.com/2009/06/we-had-new-baby.html

[liz elayne]

what an incredible moment captured. i am in awe of the beauty of this post and the photography here.

my moment is to be here, standing in the light and honoring that i know i can:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizelayne/3634270807/

[Alexis]

Those are amazing birth pictures!!! I am actually contemplating offering to be a birth photographer, I would love to be doing that! Birth is so amazingly powerful!

I'll have to ponder this question...

[Gail]

An incredibly moving photograph! A moment well captured!

I feel like I am on the verge of something new...but I don't know what yet...have retired from one job and will be looking for my next career...something right around the corner...maybe right outside the window...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22733432@N08/3635776153/

[giggletwig (corey)]

Incredible capture! I love that you say you feel "unqualified" to capture that event. I comletely identify with that feeling when it comes to capturing special moments in other people's lives. Thank you for sharing this post! It is very helpful and reassuring as I start my own little photography venture: http://www.redballmoon.com

[Hay]

Powerful, powerful post. I got goosebumps.

[Haley]

Wow this is beautiful and powerful...love it!

[Chris]

Patience, like you, this photo is inspiring and amazing. You captured the moment beautifully. You ROCK!

[spread your wings]

wow, such a powerful photograph.

[melody]

This image is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Such strength. Love. Hope.

[Jenn]

Wow. I don't have any words...but this photo gave me goosebumps.

[brianna]

what a cool experience. thank you for sharing.

i'm at the beginning of me right now and it's a very hard place to be.

[Dani]

I'm beginning to share my new project:
www.twodollarproject.blogspot.com

[Merrick Photography]

What an amazing, emotionally-charged image. You have a great gift and there is some wonderful photography here on this site. Thank you so much for sharing this with the rest of us...

[jag]

This post - photo & words - brought tears to my eyes... How precious we are in our knowing, yet not-knowing.
xox

[rachael]

this photograph totally has me in tears.

i'm welcoming the beginning of belonging. it's quite a journey. but i'm holding the open space & letting trust carry me.

thank you for this beautiful post & peek into an incredible moment.

[djbeat]

my place to be, as with everyday in the last 9 months, is sharing and showing the world to bb boy; we are amazed how he takes everything in: birds flying, dogs running, sand in his hands, wind in his face, sunshine & cold creek water on his toes!


http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbeat/3638127892/in/photostream/

[naomi]

Thank You for sharing!
This made me cry.
My son and his beautiful wife just gave birth [homebirth] to their beautiful daughter Rosa so I am discovering the beginnings of being someone special to another special someone. I'm now Nana, what an honour. I smile to myself when I think of all the special beginnings Rosa and I will share.

[Buttercupyaya]

a day later than you...www.buttercupyaya.blogspot.com
thank you for sharing this.

[andrea scher]

Patience,

this photo is SO extraordinary...

what a gift you have!
oxa

[kristyk]

Amazing.

[Maya v.]

Wow what an incredible story. Very touching and beautiful.

HEre is to a new beginning...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayangsari/3437446630/

[wn]

hey Shutter Sisters!

It took me a week to get this post up...but I did answer the call of where I needed to be on the very day you asked it (although it was not shared online at the time)...the timing was impeccable.

Here is where I needed to be....on a certain day

http://lotsawords.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-place.html

[Kat]

When I was 9 I dreamt of being a Life Magazine photographer--for I loved the emotion their pictures spawned.
This picture of the passion in the birthing process is phenominal.
Breathtaking.
Heartbreaking.
Life changing.

This is what life is about.

Kat