The 5 Most-Asked Questions We Get As Birth Photographers and Doulas
Over the past few years, the Gather team has worked hard to develop a sense of openness when it comes to our business. We receive a lot of questions from a lot of different folks and always do our best to be a helpful source of information!
Whether we’re chatting with a prospective client in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro, talking shop with birth or birth-adjacent workers in our local Twin Cities area, or exchanging messages with a social media follower halfway across the world, we want it to be clear that anyone can reach out and find honest, straightforward answers. Want to build your business? Great, we’re here to support your success! Hoping to understand what it’s like to work with us as you decide who you'd like on your birth team? We can lay out how we operate clearly and with honesty.
We know what a privilege it is to have a platform on which we can share the knowledge and talents we’ve developed, and being contributing members of the birth community is foundational to our mission. We sure hope that our desire for intentional candor is apparent, and here are a few of the most common questions we receive.
How did you find each other?
This question usually comes from other birth workers who are starting to feel the strain of solo entrepreneurship and the challenges of on-call life. We feel really lucky to have this team of four, not only because it means we have guaranteed backup when a birth is long or someone is feeling under the weather, but because we have a built-in support network and a deep well of individual experience and talents to lean on and learn from. The ability to remain nimble and divide up the workload as each of our personal circumstances shift is also priceless, and keeps us fresh as we serve each of our clients in the Twin Cities with excellence. We truly believe the team model serves both us and our clients well! The key to bringing our Gather team together was being active in our local Minneapolis birth community and thoughtfully pursuing partnerships with those who shared a vision for building the same kind of business. For us, that meant a passion for birth support and photography, a commitment to our core values, and the desire to simply enjoy working together. The ability to communicate openly about our goals - both business and personal - keeps us going strong.
Do you travel for births?
For the right client, we absolutely would! Hiring us to travel for your birth would likely require an additional investment on your part, as traveling incurs expenses and time away from home also necessitates time away from other clients, but we’d love to discuss the options with you. Get in touch and we can chat about a customized plan for the arrival of your new little one!
I love your photos! Do you sell presets?
We’ve spent countless hours honing our birth photography skills and prioritize inter-team collaboration so we’re sure to always send galleries showcasing our signature style out into the world, no matter which Gather co-founder is behind the lens. We love that you feel a connection with the fruits of our hard work! That said, we’re currently focusing our attention on supporting our clients by offering birth photography, birth planning sessions, and birth doula support. So, the short answer: not yet, but stay tuned. Presets and courses are a definite possibility for the future. We'd never count out an opportunity to grow.
I can’t afford a birth photographer, but I wish I could. Do you have any tips for my partner/mom/nurse who will be taking pictures for us?
There’s no replacing a professional birth photographer, but we understand that not every budget has the space for one. Reaching out to the photographer you’re interested in working with to discuss a payment plan or an off-call package might be a good fit if you’d like to consider less costly options with a pro. Another option we encourage our clients to consider is adding a photography fund to your registry! If none of those options feel like the right path for your family, our best tips for cell phone photographers are right here (coming soon).
And finally, the question we wish more prospective clients would ask:
How far do you live from my birthing location? How long will it take you to get out the door once I call you in?
When you spend a significant amount of time and resources planning a supported and/or documented birth, it’s crucial to ask the questions that give you the best prospect of having the experience you hope for. The Gather team is always thrilled when our clients ask questions that show they understand the value of clear communication and expectations. Set yourself up for success by hiring a rock solid team of truly professional birth doulas and photographers who have a plan when it comes to arriving in time on the big day. At Gather, half of our team shares parenting responsibilities with live-in partners who are fortunate to have flexible work schedules. The other half has yet to welcome kiddos into their lives, which allows them an even greater degree of the flexibility that is necessary for birth work. On average, we arrive between 20-40 minutes after receiving your call, whether you plan to deliver in a birth center, home, or hospital. This always depends on location, weather, and advance notice. With very few exceptions, we limit our service radius in order to be able to serve all our clients well. To learn more about our practices, check out our FAQ page, our Ten Questions To Ask A Birth Doula blog post, and our Here's What You Should Know About Hiring a Birth Photographer post!