Many of you probably know I recently partnered with Oklahoma City birth photographer Stephanie Ralls! I’ve worked alongside Stephanie for years, and I’m so excited she now officially shoots for Tavia Redburn Photography! So I figured a get to know you post was in order. 🙂 Enjoy this interview with our team member, Ivory Nice, and don’t forget to say hello to Stephanie in the comments and make her feel welcome!!

 

 

Ivory: Tell me about you and your family!

Stephanie: I’m from Oklahoma! I was born in Midwest City, where I still live. I graduated high school with my now husband, and we have two children: a five-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl. My kids go to school in the same district I did when I was a kid!

 

Okay, so we know you love all things birthy. 🙂 What else do you like to do with your time?

In my free time, I’m a PTA mom, and I’m running for VP! I’m obsessed with Enneagram (I’m an 8), and I love learning about how other people live (cultures, traditions, habits, anything). I’m also really into board games.

 

How did you meet Tavia, and when did y’all start working together?

Actually…I don’t know when I met Tavia! I mean…I have NO idea! I guess it’s been a while? I just know Tavia. She’s just been absorbed into my life. And we started working together two years ago as backup for births.

 

What do you love about your job?

I love meeting clients, the process of taking the photos. I love documenting the day you’d probably forget lots of the details on!

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your favorite moment to document during birth?

Definitely dad supporting mom– mom’s partner giving his support. Just like in a wedding, when you get the shot of the groom waiting for the bride. When it comes down to supporting the mother, everything goes out the window and they are mush and do whatever mom needs. Brushing her hair, caressing her cheek– it’s always the little things that I love to capture.

So photography is not your only interest in the birth community, right?

I’m working on becoming a doula.

While in the hospital giving birth to my daughter, I hit transition and totally freaked out. I demanded an epidural. However, the anesthesiologist had a lot of trouble placing it, and it took over 30 minutes. Then all of a sudden, I had to push…without the epidural. I ended up having my daughter completely naturally. This is what I intended in the first place, but the way things went down was kind of traumatic. It just wasn’t what I expected. I was actually really upset about it. I believe that if I would have had a doula, it would have gone differently.

I completed a mentorship with local doula Lauren Scarbrough, and I’m continuing my education on birth to become a doula. I believe women need to be given their voice in their birth experience.

 

What do you want moms to know going into their big day?

You have options. You have body autonomy. You have the freedom to make decisions and to say no. You have to listen to your own body and do what feels right. Suddenly being in charge of everything can be scary. But we can do it.

During a birth, a baby is born, but a mother is born too. There isn’t a type of a mom that birth photography is right or wrong for. Some moms get epidurals or inductions and then apologize to me that it wasn’t a more exciting birth! But we have no judgement on how you have your baby. You’re bringing life into the world! You do what’s right for you in the season you’re in.

Birth photography can really be for anybody. <3