Hey there!
My name is Shelby. I am a DONA Certified Birth Doula and a Birth Becomes Her Certified Birth Photographer, serving Red Deer and surrounding areas. I have been a birth doula since early 2014, and began my photography journey in 2017.
My husband Matt and I have three beautiful kiddos – Mason, who was born in January 2013, Luca, who was born in July 2016, and Delaney, who was born in October 2018. I’ve always had an interest in birth and motherhood, but before I became a mother myself, I had no idea what career path I wanted to pursue. After my first son was born (with our amazing midwives by our side), I decided that the field of maternity & childbirth was what I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to, somehow, help other mothers and families to be empowered in their births and parenthood experiences. I saw an advertisement online for a birth doula training happening a few months later, and I knew that was where I needed to start. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of being welcomed into the birth space of many families. In my opinion, there are not many things in life more miraculous than pregnancy & birth, and it is an honour to bear witness to such an incredible time.
After having my second son (this time, with a birth photographer present), photography quickly became another passion of mine. I found myself immersed in online articles or videos every time I had a spare minute, reading and learning. I started bringing my camera to births and taking a few photos for my doula clients to have, and I got hooked on capturing these special moments. I decided that this was definitely something I needed to pursue more seriously, and so I did. I completed my birth photographer certification through Birth Becomes Her, and graduated the Everyday Films Birth Film Workshop.
I feel that there are so many beautiful visual stories to be told in all aspects of life. I enjoy being behind the camera, but even more so, I enjoy gifting families with these keepsakes. I am extremely grateful for this job, whether it’s supporting a mother through childbirth, capturing the moments of labour and birth through photo or film, or capturing the candid love shared between a family. I love what I do and I love the families that I am privileged to meet and work with. I am thankful to have found a line of work that inspires me, every day!
