Every ᴇxᴄʀᴜᴄɪᴀᴛɪɴɢ and exhilarating moment of birth has been beautifully captured in this year’s annual Birth Photography Competition, which recognizes the world’s most incredible images of birth.
Every year, the International Association of Professional Photographers competition celebrates the skill of birth photographers from around the globe in four main categories: birth details, ʟᴀʙᴏʀ, delivery and ᴘᴏsᴛᴘᴀʀᴛᴜᴍ. Four new subcategories have also been added: black and white, documentary, fine art and ʜᴀʀᴅsʜɪᴘ & ʟᴏss.
“We are incredibly proud of the entrants of this year’s competition because, in spite of all we ᴇɴᴅᴜʀᴇᴅ in our community in recent years, this contest represents the resistance birth photographers have to overcome unforeseen challenges,” said Liz Cook and Lacey Barratt, directors of the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IABPB).
“We are also thrilled to continue offering a new, impactful and powerful subcategory titled Hᴀʀᴅsʜɪᴘ & Lᴏss. We desire to honor the 1 in 4 birthing people who experience ᴍɪsᴄᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ ᴀɴᴅ/ᴏʀ ʟᴏss and inviting images of these events into our celebration of birth photography is one way we can do this. We are proud to present to you a breathtaking body of work that shares life’s most powerful moments from 2022.”
From those precious first moments to the ᴀɢᴏɴʏ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏss, these are the best birth photos of 2023.
Best Overall First Place
Annemarie Fuckel of Annemarie Lea: “Crossing the Veil”, Germany
Best Overall Birth Details
Paula Beltrao of Paula Beltrao: “Waking Up at Sunrise”, Brazil
Best Overall Labor
Jessica Innemee of Vi-Photography: “Safe Space”, Netherlands
Best Overall Delivery
Mary Beliz of Mary Beliz Photos: “Life Beneath the Surface”, United States
Best Overall Hardship & Loss
Ebony Ankins of Ebony Ankins Photography: “Noahs Ark”, Australia
Best in Labor: Black & White
Laura Brink of Rewild Her Birth: “The Loyal Birth Attendant”, Australia
Best in Labor: Documentary
Laura Brink of Rewild Her Birth: “Drowning In Exhaustion”, Australia
Best in Delivery: Black & White
Karoline Saadi of Karoline Saadi Fotografia: “The Expected Meeting”, Brazil
Best in Delivery: Documentary
Jessica Miles of Jessica Miles Photography: “Hello, I Have Arrived”, United States
Members’ Choice Best Overall Labor
Nicole Hamic of Nicole Hamic: “I Call Down My Power”, United States
Honourable Mentions
Anne Lucy of Anne Lucy Silva Barbosa: “Cry of Love”, Brazil
Michelle Glenn of Michelle Glenn Photography: “Still”, United States
Erin Stetson of Erin Beth Birth: “You Are My VBAC Queen”, United States
Tiarra Doherty of Mother Wolf Birth Photography: “Beautiful Beautiful Boy”, United States
Julia Santiago of Julia Santiago Fotografia: “My First Seconds Here”, Brazil
