Attending the birth of a child was nothing near what I thought it would be. In all honesty, I was a little hesitant. Not only was I acutely aware of my intrusion into such a precious moment, but frankly I was very unsure of what to expect. How does one shoot photos using hospital light? Being that the purpose of shooting photos is to view them later, could I get shots worth sharing? Most importantly, would I get in the way?
Janet texted me the morning of with a warning: she was going into labour and I should probably gather some camera gear. I was rather impatient. Of course these things tend to take some time, yet I found myself anxiously awaiting the signal to jump. To say I was excited was an understatement. This was an entirely new experience for me and I was lucky enough to share this with a friend I hold quite dear! Just after noon, I got the text, dropped everything, and avoided a careless driving charge as I raced across the city. I arrived just in time to wait four more hours in a large and dark hospital room with Janet, Joe, and Rosio - Janet's sister.
With excellent company, time flies quickly. As nurses checked on Janet, we visited and I took a few photos to document the love I saw in the room. Eventually the decision to move Janet kicked us into the next step: delivery. The room filled with people and I found myself a corner out of the way. Being that this was my first experience with such an important procedure, I was overwhelmed by the company. The room had welcomed a great many staff. As I looked around, I counted six new people! I felt this an awful lot of people for something that was going to go 100% smoothly... Everyone took their place and we continued to wait. The doctor was busy with another lucky family and we couldn't start the party without him.
Only ten or so minutes later, the doctor arrived with his student. They gowned up and everything moved quickly. I almost forgot to remove my lens cap. Opting for the north side of the equator, I grabbed my camera and witness the birth Ronik Armando Randhawa through my viewfinder. Long story short, I am blown away by my experience. I am so thankful for the being able to share such an amazing moment with this beautiful and growing family. I am thankful and honoured.
Happy birthday Ronik. I can't wait to grow with you and your family. Congratulations Janet, Joe and Amrik. A new chapter has begun.
