Birth and Motherhood Photography Durham, NC

2020 A Year in Review

Part One

Wow… this year!

Last year I called 2020 the year of “Letting Go” my god how true that was for 2020 for not just me but so many people just trying to stay afloat. I think fo so many of us in those first months of quarantine we still held very tightly to this idea of “getting back to normal.” We were waiting for our usual to return and it never did. Eventually, I think we all had to loosen our grips on what felt “normal” and embrace this new 2020 life with all its really low lows and occasional bright lights.

I think my 2020 journey felt riddled with the need for balance. In January My body was still recovering from birth and postpartum but by February I was finally entering the most joyful part of parenthood. Jude’s personality was coming alive and my body and mind were finally accepting this new balance. But of course, by the end of March, everything changed. I had to miss 2 birth days due to COVID restrictions and my heart broke both times. There wasn’t much we could do and I thankfully was able to still capture their homecomings from the hospital within those first weeks postpartum but still, I think of both of those mothers and wish the world had been different for their birth stories. But they each had a healthy beautiful baby boy and I’ve gotten to keep up with both of their families all year for family sessions and more.

As April/May kept us all isolated inside, our little family of three went a little stir crazy as you can imagine. We thankfully found a lot of joy in being together but the fear of getting out with a baby felt so overwhelming some days that we usually just stayed in watched Frozen 2 for the 50th time and Chris cooked us AMAZING meals. When I was able to, I went back to work capturing important moments and births for our community with as much safety and protection as I could. I traveled as far as Asheville for one epic homebirth, captured 2 repeat mommas (first time because we’ve moved so much I always seemed to miss the second due date), captured 2 incredibly powerful unassisted homebirths (with another hopefully any day now) and got my Doula Certification this august just in time to be welcomed back into hospitals by the Fall. I photographed 15 (16 if this last momma has her’s in the next few days) birthdays this year and feel the greatest weight of honor thinking about each epic day! Looking back this year was definitely one of the hardest but also one of the best

Hardest because like most people around the world our balance had to be completely reconfigured in March, everything from budget to childcare to human interaction had to be weighed so meticulously. We went through the darkness of isolation, anxiety, fear and loss but in a way that just always felt like we were looking through glass. It was bizarre and challenging.

Best because it was really Jude’s first year of life, I got to watch him grow and become a little person. The three of us spent every waking hour together for the first few months until we were able to expand into our small circle of close friends who have been such a rock in my life. We found real balance once we finally figured out a nanny share and were able to more regularly interact with our people. My friendships have felt deeper and richer more this year than they have since I was in college. In so many ways being a mother and friend are small but they have also been such a gift to me in 2020. When all else faded it was the chaos of being a mom, loving my partner, connecting with my girl friends, throwing themed parties with my circle of 8 and Disney + that kept us in the lifeboat all the way to the safe shores of 2021… at least I hope safe shores :P

And of course, this collection of images below are my favorites from throughout 2020 Part One, they are full of the raw and powerful quality all of my work in grounded in. There is nudity and blood but in all honesty, the gift that is birth and life is filled with the messy. All photos have been approved and released by the client for sharing.

Mother holds baby with newborn bum toward camera in raw postpartum self portrait

This image is Me. My favorite self-portait captured in the first weeks of 2020. Still brings me to tears how little my baby was as the beginning of this year!

mother sits on bed moments after birth covered in blood holding new born baby at home

The Birth of Thea, Her mother Maggie describes this experience this way and I think with this photo it says everything,

“ What a year. What a fucking year. I went to the depths and came back with this beautiful soul in my arms. It took everything. And yes she was worth it and more. But god was it painful. I broke down. I crumbled. I turned to ash and dust. I screamed and sobbed and gagged. over and over. repeat and repeat. And then I roared. And then I held her. My Thea. My Moon. My Beloved. Our Ancient Song.”

Mother nurses baby moments after birth in home

husband and wife coo over baby on floor during homebirth

big sister responds shocked to new sibling at homebirth

curious older sister looks on at baby nursing after homebirth in North carolina

This sweet series was from my first birth of 2020 and first repeat momma! The beautiful and powerful unassisted home birth of Keslin! I’m so in love with those big sister photos, probably because I was at her birth too :P

blue eyed mother holds newborn daughter close with baby close eyes

Another special mother and daughter here! I captured the Wedding of LA and Matt the first year I moved to NC and to have the honor to capture this sweet newborn Session for them and Savy was so dear to my heart!

If this pairing doesn’t just describe those first weeks and months of motherhood! I loved getting to be pregnant with this momma and friend and to meet her sweet baby boy right before they moved across the country! Melissa also captured our Newborn photos in 2019!

couple snuggles together postpartum with new baby

new parents hold newborn close to their body

new dad kisses baby while standing in renovated RV

new parents snuggle newborn baby in their renovated RV

new mom sits quietly with newborn in her arms

mother in colorful robe nurses baby with assistance from dad

These two are just good, fun, and laidback people. And yes this is a fully renovated RV that they brought their newborn baby girl home to! I felt so kindred to them from the moment we met and chatted for hours over smoothies. When their birth took an unexpected turn and their postpartum felt weightier than expected they endured together with such joy, love and strength.

My heart has been so drawn to these postpartum moments and sessions this year. Recently healing from my own postpartum season, I just see so much beauty in this time of raw vulnerability and transformation!

The Birth of Marlowe,

“Laboring Together for their third baby girl and first home birth! This birth was ALL theirs!”

Jude at 3 months!

Best of 2020 Year in Review | Hanna Hill Photography | Durham, NC birth photographer

“Raising a Curious Daughter”

This image won me first in category at the Voice Image Competition held by Click Pro you can see HERE! Which was a huge win and honor to be welcomed by this esteemed collection of female pro photographers!

new parents hold eachother close while pregnant for maternity photos in forest

New Parents so much Love!

mother holds baby girl in field of golden wheat at sunset

little boy kisses mom in beanie hat in field

mom holds newborn daughter in field staring at camera

mother kisses newborn baby in field of wheat at sunset in yellow dress

mother smiles at newborn daughter in field in light pink bonnet

mother holds newborn daughter and sons hand in black in white in a field

little son looks up to mother in field while she wears a long yellow dress

mother laughs at NC art museum field with daughter and son

big brother kisses sister in wheat field in NC art museum

big brother kisses baby sister with beanie on in wheat field in Raleigh

There are just some moments in a session that I just love and can’t choose a favorite if it killed me! I was also luck enough to capture this baby girl’s birth day just a few weeks/ month earlier!