25 Intimate Birth Photos That Capture The Beauty And Power Of Delivery

The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers has announced its 12th annual contest winners.
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skaman306 via Getty Images

Birth photography is one of the most intimate and powerful art forms. 

To honour this work and the families who choose to document these vulnerable moments, the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers holds an annual photo contest open to its 1,100-plus members in 52 countries.

On Thursday, the IAPBP announced the winners of its 12th annual Birth Photography Image Competition, which celebrates excellence across the categories of labour, delivery, postpartum, birth details, and hardship and loss. 

“We are incredibly proud of the entrants of this year’s competition because in spite of all we endured in our community in recent years, this contest represents the resistance birth photographers have to overcome unforeseen challenges,” IAPBP director Liz Cook said in a news release.

“We are proud to present to you a breathtaking body of work that shares life’s most powerful moments from 2022.”

Keep scrolling to see this year’s winners and honourable mentions.

You can visit the IAPBP website to see all the entries. (Readers should note that the following uncensored photos show people in the act of childbirth.)

1
Overall Winner and Best in Birth Details: Fine Art
"Crossing the Veil"
2
Best in Labor
"Safe Space"
3
Best in Labor: Documentary
"Drowning in Exhaustion"
4
Best in Labor: Black & White
"The Loyal Birth Attendant"
5
Best in Delivery: Documentary
"Hello, I Have Arrived"
6
Best in Delivery: Fine Art
"Brace for Birth"
7
Best in Delivery: Black & White
"The Expected Meeting"
8
Best in Delivery
"Life Beneath the Surface"
9
Best in Postpartum: Documentary
"Bed 32"
10
Best in Postpartum: Black & White
"Peaceful Arrival"
11
Best in Postpartum: Fine Art
"The Sovereign Family Tree"
12
Best in Birth Details
"Waking Up at Sunrise"
13
Members' Choice: Best in Delivery
"First Touch"
14
Members' Choice: Best in Postpartum
"The Lovers After"
15
Honorable Mention
"You Are My VBAC Queen"
16
Honorable Mention
"All Lines Lead to You"
17
Honorable Mention
"I Stand in My Power"
18
Honorable Mention
"Cry of Love"
19
Honorable Mention
"Beautiful Beautiful Boy"
20
Members' Choice: Best in Labor
"I Call Down My Power"
21
Honorable Mention
"Letting Go"
22
Honorable Mention
"It's in Our Hands Now"
23
Honorable Mention
"Postpartum Porcelain Throne Check"
24
Honorable Mention
"Liminal Space"
25
Honorable Mention
"My First Seconds Here"