Interview With Charlotte Area Birth Photographer Mandy Allender

Image copyright Amanda Allender Photography 2016.

     These days it seems like everyone is photographing everything. Sometimes this can go overboard (I really don’t need to see a styled photo of every meal you eat!) but I don’t think this is the case with the fast-growing popularity of birth photography. Maybe it’s just because I am a birth junkie, but I can’t get enough of the amazing images that professional photographers are taking at home, birth center, and hospital births around the country. Recently the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers held their Annual Image of the Year Competition. The winning images are stunning and you can see them here: http://birthphotographyimagecompetition.com. (Heads up that some of these are pretty intense and there will be some nudity.)
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   Here in Charlotte, we are lucky to have several fantastic photographers who have decided to use their skills to catch the moments of labor and birth for families in the Queen City. Today, I want to introduce you to one of them, Mandy Allender of Amanda Allender Photography. Mandy is such a genuine person and her passion for her work is evident. She agreed to answer some questions for me and share some of her work here in this space. I hope you enjoy what she had to say as much as I do!

Image copyright Amanda Allender Photography 2016.

 
​Me: Why did you decide to offer birth photography?
Mandy: I had started wondering if was time to start charging for my photography, as I'd previously only been a hobbyist, when a dear friend asked me to recommend a birth photographer for her. I immediately asked her if she would allow me to do it - for FREE! I was still working weekends full-time, and knew that I couldn't be there if it fell during my work hours. It worked out that I was able to attend and photograph her birth, and it was just incredible. I immediately knew I needed to do more. My first client recommended me to my second client, and then I was recommended to a third. By my third birth, I was hooked. That was when I put in my notice at my regular job and took the leap of becoming a photographer, full-time!

Me: What is the most challenging part of photographing births?
​Mandy: There are so many challenging parts. By far, the hardest is having on-call child care, second only to deciding how to live an on-call life. When I get a "things are happening" text, all the thoughts run through my head. Do I stay home? Could it be today or not for another week? Should we go to the birthday party anyway, or should we cancel? Should I call my sitter and give her a heads up? For every single birth, I went through this dance of trying to figure out the best way to be on-call. I am just now seasoned enough that we simply continue to live our lives, and react to things AS they happen, instead of what MIGHT happen.

Me: What is the most rewarding part of this career?
Mandy: Being invited into the sacred space of a woman giving birth, and capturing one of the single most beautiful moments in our human life.  Also, seeing the wonder and joy those photos bring the mother when she gets to see them for the first time after her birth. It really means SO much - to them AND to me.

Me: How would you describe your photography style?
Mandy: I shoot natural light (no flash) and my style is photo-journalistic.  No posing, no directions - I shoot what I see as I see it, and try to represent the emotion and the story as close to life as possible.  My images are sharp, and raw, and true.  

Me: What areas/birth locations do you cover?
Mandy: I currently cover from Statesville to Fort Mill!

Above images copyright Amanda Allender Photography 2016.

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​Mandy's Biography:
I am a Canadian born mother of 4 beautiful children, happily living in Huntersville with my husband, Brock.  I have experienced hospital birth, birth center birth, and homebirth as well.  The incredible care I received from my midwives allowed me to have the type of birth I hoped for and this is what led me to birth photography. I wanted to help OTHER women to have the births THEY deserved, and also to have the photos to remember them by.  I credit Kate Anderson and Lora Denton - for encouraging me, critiquing me, and pushing me forward when things got hard.  If not for them, I wouldn't be doing what I do. Amanda Allender Photography is growing beyond my wildest expectations, currently capturing families, newborns, and specializing in birth.  ​To find out more visit my website or check out my Facebook page!

Image copyright A.M. Stewart Photography 2016.
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