Rewild Her, Gold Coast (2026)

11/05/2023

I’m so privileged to have you in my life Leila. You forever inspire me and the community around you. And seriously - how lucky am I to have now captured your fierce strength and power as a mother birthing all three of your babies into this world.

You can listen to empowering twin birth story on the podcast.

Raw and real thoughts and words from Leila below -

“Twins come early…
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Famous last words.
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I woke up every night after midnight and sobbed…
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Why haven’t I gone into labour?
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Why was I 41 weeks and still pregnant with twins?
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What do my babies know that I don’t know…
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If they wanted to be born at home why hadn’t I gone into labour?
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Do I wait?
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What if something happens? Will I ever forgive myself?
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Why aren’t I trusting my body? Why would something happen?
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Do they not want to be Pisces?
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Is 41+2 my number for giving birth?
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I can hardly stand up for 5 minutes at this point, how an earth am I going to labour and give birth?
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What do I do?
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Where is my line in the sand?
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Will I regret the decision I make either way?
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I made the hardest decision I have ever had to make.
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I drew my line in the sand and faced my biggest fear.
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I birthed in the system. And you know what… it was beautiful.
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I feel deeply proud of myself for fighting for me and my babies to have the birth that we wanted. A peaceful water birth in a space that didn’t want to let us birth that way.
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Do I regret my decision to walk into hospital to birth my twins?
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Not at all. I had the most incredible and empowering birth.
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Will I forever wonder what birthday my boys would have chosen if I let them do things themself?
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Absolutely, and I guess that’s the decision I have to live with.
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My birth story is live on the podcast if you’d like to listen.
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Thank you for your patience too, I know you were dying to hear the story. I just had a lot to process and wanted to feel ready when I shared 🫶🏽”

24/04/2023

I’ve never felt that black and white conversions have been a particular strength of mine. So to have both these black and white images awarded in the recent IAPBP competition was such a moment of pride for me.

Black and white is not what I preference in my editing style generally and any images I choose to edit in this way have come about through a very conscious, creative decision.

Certain images naturally and aesthetically lend themselves to a black and white conversion - technically speaking, when the dynamic range of an image is high. I tend to choose a black and white conversion for more than just technical reasons and base this decision heavily on the storytelling capabilities or the image. images that have a clean composition and those that draw the viewer in with nuggets of storytelling gold speckled throughout the frame - they are what make the cut for me.

First image titled ‘Drowning in Exhaustion’ - awarded Best Documentary Image in the Labour category.

Second image titled ‘The Loyal Birth Attendant’ - awarded Best Black and White in the Labour category.

04/04/2023

Some of my favourite 2022 images were awarded last week in the BirthPhotographers.com] 13th Annual Birth Photography International Image Competition - I’m so proud to have received four subcategory awards as well as an Honourable Mention this year.

This particular image ‘Brace for Birth’ was recognised as ‘Best Fine Art’ in the Delivery category and I just love that I was able to be in the right place at the right time to capture baby’s expression here as his body, and clearly his soul, was transported from one world to another.

It’s always so special to have my work showcased amongst the very talented IAPBP community members. Thank you for the beautiful support of my work. You all constantly inspire me 🤍

If you haven’t already, head to the IAPBP BirthPhotographers.com] webpage to view the online galleries of all entries from this year! What I love the most about these industry competitions is that they highlight and celebrate so much diversity in birth with artists and subjects from all around the world 🌏❤️

22/11/2022

Last week, Nov 13-20, marked the Annual Transgender Awareness Week 2022 - a celebration of transgender identity, a commemoration to those victims of transphobia, and a week of inclusivity and validation for people of the LGBTQIA+ community as well as those who fall outside of these bounds.

As a documentarian, I am privileged and entrusted to capture some of the world’s most intimate and diverse birth stories. Last week I documented my first transgender birth - the birth of Lennox Sol. Knowing he wanted to be a Dad, Alex contacted me well before he had even conceived to ask if I would be ‘comfortable’ with capturing a transgender birth. This actually really saddened me that another human felt the need to ask such a question of me. I understand why though - because he wanted to meet one of the most basic of human needs - to feel safe. To simply feel safe.

There is no birth I will not document. Every journey to parenthood is unique and every experience is valid. My perspective on life is to be open to learning, non-judgemental and always kind. I’m not going to tell Alex’s story for him - but with his permission I am sharing these images that are layered with deep emotion and that tell a story on their own. And not even a story necessarily about his transgender identity - but a human story, a story of becoming a parent, a story of meeting your baby, your blood. Stripped back, this experience is universal.

Thank you for your openness with me, for inviting me in to your world and for sharing these images so vulnerably. I’m proud of you.

16/11/2022

So it’s that time of year again - Birth Photographer of the Year Awards! I’ve been away camping, but last week managed to squeeze in watching some of the live judging from this year’s competition - and holy WOW! This year’s entries have blown my mind and I’ve loved being able to witness all the beautiful diversity in birth and the artists’ perspectives and creativity.

There are two things I love most about BPOTY - the opportunity for birth photography to push beyond the bounds of documentary and into the realms of fine art AND the coming together of our community to showcase, celebrate and encourage one another. Thank you so much - what a mammoth effort - your hard work is so very seen and appreciated! And a huge thank you to the amazing judges and panel mods for your time and expertise ❤️

This is one of my Gold awarded images of and - thank you for your generosity and support in allowing me to enter. I titled this image ‘Love Unparalleled’.

This year has been huge for me, and admittedly I probably took on more births than I probably should have. I finished up my last birth for the year yesterday and it feels amazing to be off-call, even though I have a very tall pile of editing to complete still 🫠

So to be awarded in the last week with multiple accolades from the BPOTY 2022 competition has felt incredibly fulfilling! So grateful to have received in total 2 Gold awards, 1 Silver award and 2 Bronze awards - and I truly am in awe of the skill, artistry and innovation in this year’s entries. Thank you for being so inspiring!

I’ll share more of my entries over the coming week!

17/09/2022

So happy to share beautiful planned homebirth turned hospital birth ✨

went into labour just shy of 37 weeks - the numerical cut off for her private homebirth midwifery support. Her first birth, also her first planned homebirth, transferred to hospital for the same reasons - preterm labour. As an outsider, I felt my heart break for Hannah and Nate and the dream birth they had envisioned just out of their reach, not once, but twice now.

Shifts in birth plans don’t have to be ‘happily accepted’. They don’t have to be taken without hesitation or consideration. You are allowed to grieve the change in your plans. You are absolutely ALLOWED. What could have been, you may never truly know though.

But both Hannah and Nate did know something. They knew they were strong together, trusted one another and their baby, and they ultimately were the ones that allowed their path to change, they welcomed the unforeseen. And forgive me if I am wrong but I think that this was made just that little bit easier because Hannah and Nate were truly informed, they asked questions, they delved deeper.

In addition to this, Hannah’s beautiful private midwife .midwife supported Hannah and Nate in labour, birth and postpartum via phone (C restrictions) in order to allow me to remain with Hannah and document these memories for her and her family - forever grateful to you for that S***a 🤍

Thank you always for inviting me into your birth space to capture these beautiful moments of surrender and triumph ❤️

25/06/2022

It’s been a while since I’ve shared any ‘crowning’ images - and this has been relatively deliberate. Not because I don’t love them - because I do! It’s like the slow (sometimes rapid!) reveal - the perineal masquerade - as a baby moves from one world to another - the ultimate anticipation.

But I can’t tell you how many people think that this is 110% the only thing I capture in my role as ‘birth photographer’. Crowning shots are a part of my job yes - but honestly, they’re an expected image within a birth gallery (though please note, not always achievable depending on the circumstances of birth).

Birth photography holds more value than crowning images alone. And this is where I love to surprise people.

When new, unfamiliar, unsuspecting viewers are shown my images and realise that actually, these typical crowning images make up a very, very small portion of a large gallery that additionally captures and focuses on strength, perseverance, love, vulnerability, power, human instinct, wisdom, raw emotion, transformation and so so much more - this is where birth education can take place. Crowning is only mere seconds of action within a complex and beautiful dance of labour, birth and the golden hour - each image, not just the crowning image, tells a story, reveals a detail and holds meaning. As incredible as they are to see, birth photography is WAY more than crowning images.

Thank you for permitting me to share this series of images - you and your body are nothing short of amazing 💫

14/06/2022

One of my absolute favourite images from this beautiful day birth 💫

I’m curious if you prefer the colour or black and white conversion yourself? Comment with a ❤️ for colour or 🖤🤍 for black and white.

The main reason I’m a colour girl is that this work is documentary. I document what I see. It’s real. I want you to look at your images and remember the stained red water of the birth pool. I want you to remember the shades of blue in your baby’s umbilical cord, I want you to realise just how purple their nail beds were, and how the creamy yellow of the vernix smeared over their pink velvet skin. Colours evoke meaning and trigger memories and feelings. Don’t get me wrong - I do really love a good black and white conversion at times. When it’s an impactful or classically composed frame, black and white imagery speaks through time and space. But colour - oh colour you’ll always have my heart. It’s what drops me back into that exact moment, makes me feel like I’m there, documenting again.

When you receive your gallery from me, typically it will contain 80% colour images and 20% black and white. There are exceptions to my ‘rule’ though and I’m always open to discussing them with you. I won’t deliver a colour and a black and white duplicate of each individual image, but instead will hand select which images I feel will best serve YOU and your memories in black and white, and which in colour. The reality of colour is often perceived to be quite raw and, for some, more confronting, whilst black and white may be a more nostalgic and discreet version of events. I do find however, that the mix of both colour and black and white imagery results in a nice, complimentary balance within my galleries.

So are you a colour fiend like me? Or prefer a classic black and white?

12/05/2022

I often think about how the photos I take at your birth will one day be viewed, held and cherished by the baby in front of my lens. These photos are not only for you mama, but for your children, your children’s children, your children’s children’s children - and perhaps even further down your lineage.

How must it feel to have detailed documentation of the day you were born?! Of the strength of your parents as they laboured to bring you into their arms? To be able to openly discuss and reimagine these pivotal moments in time, unpacking your own birth story frame by frame.

The fragility, the vulnerability, the love, the rawness - the everything - all laid out before you in a collection of images.

Is it not cruelly ironic that the most significant, momentous time in your earthly life, your own birth, you can not even recollect yourself 🤯

But imagine having these photographs to at least piece together the beginnings of your own story of life here on earth - how fascinating 💫

Happy birthing day mama .burrell .dreaming and happy birth day little man ✨ I’m so grateful to have documented your speedy arrival earthside so that one day you can see the strength of your own mama and the love that surrounded you on this day 🤍

05/05/2022

I count myself blessed to work in the presence of so many beautiful, skilled and genuinely caring midwives on the Gold Coast - particular shoutout to the amazing home birth midwives that continually GAF about the women and babies they serve. I’m grateful to have had the pleasure of working alongside and getting to know some of you more personally. You are all inspiring and offer yourselves wholeheartedly. The work you do is not easy - it’s time consuming, mentally draining, sometimes sad, frustrating, overwhelming, overseen and oppressed - but I stand across from you, on the other side of the birth pool, and I witness the reward and joy it brings as it washes over your face in these moments. I see you and thank you for the sacrifices that you make and the heart work that you do every day ❤️

Pictured here is the amazing Frankie Frankie van der Sluis] supporting after welcoming her baby girl at home.

Thank you for also being my own midwife for both my babies. So much love and appreciation for you ❤️

If you’re accessing midwifery care and looking for a supported and empowered home birth on the Gold Coast, you’ll need to get in super early to book one of these incredible midwives 🙌🏽

@midwife
It Takes a Village Midwifery

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Coastal Midwivesmidwife
Nurtured Journeys with Talitha Herrick

Happy International Day of the Midwife 💫

And if I am yet to work with you - I truly look forward to the day that we do ❤️

20/03/2022

I entered a handful of images into the IAPBP Annual Image Competition last month and am so pleased to share that in addition to my award winnning image ‘Blood of My Blood’, this image - ‘Lioness’ - received a Bronze Award and scored within the Too 10% of images entered!

If you still haven’t checked out the full galleries via the IAPBP website, please do! There are sooooo many powerful, inspiring, images and artists deserving of recognition and I’m still such a firm believer that change for a better world starts at BIRTH - and so the more exposure and discovery around ‘what actually is birth?’ - the better 💫

Rewild Her

11/05/2023

24/04/2023

04/04/2023

22/11/2022

16/11/2022

17/09/2022

25/06/2022

14/06/2022

12/05/2022

05/05/2022

20/03/2022

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