Delivery Room: what gear to bring?

[travis1]

Hi. My wife should be delivering this weekend. Has anyone got

experience shooting in that frenzy? CanonA75 or RF or 28mm nikon?

 

;)

[george_conboy1]

I would be inclined to bring a newspaper and sit in the other room.

 

You would need to be a lot closer to the action than I would hazard in order to use that 28. Seriously though, good luck.

[ellis_vener_photography]

Congratulations Travis! Even more to your wife! We hope everything goes smoothly and

the baby and your wife are healthy. As for you: I just hope you've been catching up on

your sleep.

 

The correct equipment answer is; as little as possible. You will be very busy with your

wifeFor our daughters birth I only

brought one SLR - a Nikon N90s, a 35mm f/2 and a Nikon SB-28DX. And 4 or 5 rolls of

Fuji NPZ film.

[william_carter1]

When my daughter was born last Sept., I brought an M7 w. a 35mm 'lux (and 2

rolls of tri-X) and a Canon 20D with one midrange zoom lens.

[richard s.]

Travis - congratulations!

 

A few thoughts: Are you sure that your good wife is happy to have you snapping? Will the

hospital/clinic allow you to bring a camera into the room? And if it is the first child, might

you not want to savour the moment? Each to his own, but personally there are certain

things that I don't want to record. Some memories are best preserved as memories, fuzzy

at the edges and slowly fading. Distilled by time to emotion rather than captured on

emulsion.

[eliot_rosen1]

I'm with George. Not evertything needs to be photographed. Good luck.

[charles_stobbs3]

If you must, I would first consult a pediatrician and find out if flash will harm a newborn's eyes. Especially a dozen or so pictures.

[bas1]

Congratulations on the upcoming events. I've brought an M7 to capture some of the first

shots. Somehow I was to distracted to make any decent shots until a couple of days

after..... Hope your goes well, post some when its all done.

[lee hamiel]

I'll send my Nikonos if there's enough time! Has a 35 & an 80

 

I would be inclined to use the A75 & use your other equipment for afterwards

 

Good Luck & congrats

[dsaxe]

Hi Travis,

I have done this twice for my own kids and once as part of a personal project. I used to be

a medical photographer and am quite familiar with this environment. There is plenty of

light with 400ASA film. I would suggest a 35mm 50mm and maybe a 90 mm lens. The

main problem is hygiene. You are not allowed to touch anything on the delivery table, nor

can you touch the physician or scrub nurse. That means you have to keep out of their way

since accidentally touching one of them means they have to change gowns and re-glove,

so at that stage the 50mm and 90 mm is what will work best for you. After

the delivery you can get closer. If the childbirth is natural, the infection precautions are

pretty normal. If it is by cesarean they are far more stringnt as the risk of infection is

greater.

I don't think it makes a difference which camera you use. There should be enough light for

F4 @125 in general and about 8@250 under the spotlights at 400ASA. The light under the

spotlight is very contrasty.

By the way, there is no frenzy. Unlike TV, the OR is a very calm organized place. (think of

HAL in 2001, A Space Oddysey). They have gone through this procedure a few times a day

for years and know what they are doing. You will be the only rookie in the room and you

should get used to the place before you take any pictures. I suggest you try breathing

normally and take a few deep breaths to calm down. If you find yourself getting excited

remember to take slow deep breaths. If you find yourself getting queezy, move around to

the side of the table. Usually there is very little blood untill teh final delivery and at that

stage you will be at the side of the table and away from the sight of it. In my case it was

fine to ask questions and the doctors and nurses were very helpful. I used a Nikon F3 and

50 and 35mm lenses.

Enjoy the experience. Its quite exhilarating and if you want to know anything more email

me.

[lee hamiel]

Further to my last post - having four children & thinking I would take a bunch of shots I never did - a sister took a few but those first few moments are indelibly frozen in your memory forever ...

[Robert_Lai]

Hi Travis,<p>Congratulations!<p>I'm inclined to agree with the others that say just enjoy the event and forget about pictures. How about just staying with the wife for most of it, and then taking one of the baby after it's in your wife's arms?<p>If you MUST bring a camera into the OR, here are some pointers from a surgeon (me):<p>OR lighting is quite bright, so there's no need for flash. Your obstetrician will be busy, so you won't be welcome where he's working. As a result, I'd stick to one lens on one camera in the 90-135mm range, and stay out of the way. Things can happen fast, so any camera without appreciable shutter lag is preferred. You may wish to go the traditional B&W route for this one, so the blood and gore are not shown in vivid colors.<p>I wish that all goes well for you and your newly expanded family.

[michael s.]

Very exciting time, Travis !

 

Every family's different. I'm confident in saying that had I attempted to bring a camera, a second medical procedure would've been required ...

to remove the camera from where my wife embedded it on my person.

[david j.lee]

scotch,some soda and lots of ice...

[mikal_grass]

Travis,

 

My wife delivered on the 25th of February. I had an M6, Nikon 85/2.0, Summilux 50/1.4,

and a CV 28/1.9. Film was Agfa Scala 200 rated at 800, two rolls of Neopan 1600 rated at

1600 and 3200, and one roll of c-41 black and white. The baby was in the neonatal

intensive care unit for four days so I had lots of extra time to shoot.

 

The attached photo was shot with the 28/1.9 and Scala at 800. Hope you like it. If I can

find other decent shots, I will post them.<div></div>

[jason_hupe1]

Travis,

Dont listen to the ones saying keep the cameras at home. I would take a 21, 28, and

maybe a 75-90 range. You ever see the series of images that Eugene Richards did of the

baby being born. Ive never seen them in print, just on the Magnum website but they are

very personal and not at all inappropriate. They are very interesting. His stlye is one of a

kind. I would shoot Tri-x, probaly pushed to 800. Just my two cents, but enjoy the

moment and congrats.

[david_bedell]

SLR (so you can get very close) with fast lenses (at most 2 so you're not overwhelmed with choice; I'd say a wide and a normal).

 

No flash--it's annoying for the hospital staff and your wife.

 

400 film is fine. Faster if you like.

[kai_griffin]

Went through this in December, and like Michael S., I would no longer be here if I'd tried to take pictures in there, not that the thought ever crossed our minds! To each his & her own; but I wouldn't count on having a lot of time for shooting pictures anyway - it's a very emotional & busy time, and I reckon you'll forget all about your camera while giving moral support & encouragement to your wife... unless you've been through it all before and are as cool as a cucumber about it all now :-)

 

Kai

[rgh]

Congratulations and Good Luck! Is this the first?

 

I've assisted in 2 natural births with my wife the past few years. If you are

going to be helping out you'll have your hands full with double duty. If you are going to be

the verbal coach and photographer you'll have a bit more time - and mind - to work on

the photography part.

 

I had one experience from a birth I was asked to photographed by one of my

Professors at University when I was 20 (yes, she passed me with a good grade) so I knew

what to expect, even then... If you are going into this for the first time the energy does get

a bit intense, the photography part can easily become the least important part of the

experience. Our first birth I didn't have time or energy to pick up a camera - I was busy

and it was not the most important thing. For our second we had 3 midwives to help out so

I had my M5 and 24mm with Delta 400 rated at 800 ISO next to me and ended up with a

very beautiful series of the birth.

 

With that in mind, I would use a single wide angle (you'll be next to your wife?), pre-focus

and check exposure before

you start - in other words, get it all set before you need to actually start making the

exposure (keep it simple). Get an idea of the lens coverage and framing before, and when

you do make an exposure do it quick (don't stay around with the camera glued to your

face), so as not to be a 'camera' in the middle of the event - no flash of course! With the

24mm I used, I am familiar with the framing and it wasn't really necessary for me to look

through the finder, it was more - pick up the camera on the table next to me when I felt

the need, one handed bring it up and make the exposure in a second and put the camera

down.

 

So enjoy yourself, enjoy your wife's experience, take it all in, and if you have time for some

photography make it simple and quick, for me I usually enjoy the photography most while

I'm making the exposure, but in this case the time during the birth its more important to

be 'at the birth', the photography took care of itself and I enjoyed the photos after the

event more because of that - it was like see them for the first time.

[mikal_grass]

Another Scala shot. This illustrates the spotlight lighting in the delivery room. The doctor

will light only the area he/she needs to see. Everything else will almost be in the dark.

 

I agree with the posters who say that you should not photograph the baby coming out.

While watching your child enter the world is an amazing experience, it is better that you

concentrate on your wife and not photograph that part of the birth.<div></div>

[al_kaplan1]

Jonathan was born June 24th in 1976 and natural childbirth was the rage. I had M4 and M2-R bodies with 35 and 50mm Summicrons, Tri-X rated normally, and a Weston Ranger 9 back then. I probably shot 5 or 6 rolls. They then performed the circumcision immediately, and that was the only time I felt queasy. Taking photos through the entire birthing procedure allowed me to distance myself a bit, otherwise were I just watching, I know it would have made me ill.

 

There was plenty of light and Jonathan weighed in at 10 lbs. 2 ounces. He's still a big guy!

[frank_scheitrowsky1]

Been there, done that, and glad I did. I strongly suggest one camera and one (fast) lens. This is no time for switching lenses. The lens should be a 35 or 50mm. 400 speed B+W film. Definitely no heed for flash! If any subject matter calls for ambient light, this is it. For a camera, something with a quiet shutter and no motordrive to infringe on the ambience. How about a Leica, so when you're 80, you can give your son or daughter the negatives of their birth and the camera that took them.

[travis1]

gee thanks for the tips everyone so far. Wife said ok to take pix but don't show her later. Hospital already said cams are allowed(videos too). Most stories of my friends ended up with the husbands fainting or staying out of the room. I'll probably sling a cam anyway and see what happens.

[joseph_barbano]

Did this twice; both pre-digital. Used ISO 400 and M6 with F/2 lenses. NO flash; too disturbing to the participants. You could use a decent digital camera at no less than ISO 400. Also, bring a back-up camera. Good luck.

[tim_stephens]

Travis,

If I was brave enough to have a third child, I would likely do things no differently from mt first two children. This means:

Discussing your intentions with your wife before time's up,

Using no flash;

Using Delta 3200 & Delta 400

Using a normal lens

Bringing a digital lightmeter

Bringing a backup camera or a different format ('Blad or other MF or 35mm camera)

ABSOLUTELY NOT Photographing the moment of birth - Enjoying the moment of watching a new life, and maybe a new photographer joining the world. Consider you have many years of taking very satisfying pictures of your new son/daughter. This is a moment you want to be IN the action, not behind the lens.

 

I suggest that the nicest pictures of all are the ones very much like the excellent work of Mikal Grass - photographing your child on the warming bed, once some of the traces of blood and stuff is wiped off, but before they are all wrapped up. I still look back at those photos of my children and it instantly transports me back into the delivery room. Equally, I have some excellent shots of my daughters being held by their mom for the first time - about 5 minutes after birth.