These powerful birth photos capture the beauty and strength of mothers

The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers announced its contest winners—and the photos are stunning.

By Jamie Orsini February 11, 2021

"The Greatest Love In The World"/Anne Lucy Silva Barbosa/Anne Lucy Fotografia

Birth photography is becoming increasingly popular—for good reason.

These powerful photos show the remarkable strength of mothers and the intimate moment a new life is ushered into this world.

It’s about more than preserving a moment in time for family keepsakes. Birth photography uses art to capture a miracle and share birth stories.

This week, the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IABPB) announced the winners of its tenth annual Birth Photography Image Competition, which honors excellence in categories including Labor, Delivery, Postpartum, Birth Details and Fresh 48.

“Despite birth photographers worldwide losing a majority of their work and income in 2020 due to the global pandemic, I am thrilled to be able to feature the talent of our members in our annual image competition,” said Liz Cook, director of IABPB.

“We are incredibly proud of the entrants of this year’s competition because in spite of all we endured in our community in recent months, this contest represents the resistance birth photographers have to overcome unforeseen challenges. We are proud to present to you a breathtaking body of work that shares life’s most powerful moments from 2020.”

Scroll down to see this year’s incredible crop of winners.

Editor’s note: These images document childbirth and delivery. They depict nudity and blood.