Paris Family home water birth

I’ve witnessed a birth before. I was 17. It was equal parts amazing and horrifying. It did not make me feel warm and fuzzy about ever giving birth. I’m sure that had less to do with the sterile hospital setting and more to do with being 17.

I was invited to photograph a home water birth after a colleague of mine had to leave town and her expecting family was running days past their due date. I have to admit, I crossed my fingers for the chance to photograph the event. Big thanks to Jill McNamara for sharing the opportunity.

At 3 a.m. I received a call from a calm, expecting father. Bryan Paris said it was time. When I arrived, Megan was in full-blown contractions. The Paris family had an inflatable pool set up in their dining room. The kitchen table became a workspace for midwifery supplies. A hose from the bathroom ran down the hall and into the dining room, filling the pool with warm water. Megan’s mother and Bryan were sharing the duties of bringing fresh wash cloths to cool off with, ice water to drink and back rubs to relieve pressure.

With Bryan in the water at her side, Megan began the pushing process around 3:30 a.m. She seemed to find a calmness in the deep breathing, teeth clenching and pep-talking to her soon-to-be baby girl. At one point, she rubbed her stomach and spoke directly to her baby, reassuring her it was time. The breathing deepened as the pain increased. By 3:50 a.m., Maya Leigh was born. She entered the warm water of the pool and took her first breaths as she lay on top of her mother’s stomach.

Maya was wrapped in a towel and brought into the Paris’ bedroom, where she immediately started breast feeding. Within minutes of her birth, Maya was in her mother’s arms and in their bed at home. In the morning Maya would meet her big brother, Finn, 2, who slept the entire night not knowing his little sister was being born in the dining room.

Thank you to Megan and Bryan for inviting me into your home and introducing me to Maya. I can’t thank you enough for giving me permission to share these personal photographs.

And yes, this experience made me feel warm and fuzzy about giving birth.

Paris Family Home Birth. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Paris Family Home Birth. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Paris Family Home Birth. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Maya Leigh is born. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Joy. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Getting a good look at Maya. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Grandma gets a look. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Hello. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Bryan, Megan and Maya. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

All eyes on Maya. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Maya finds her voice. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Maya weighs 8lbs. 3oz. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Grandma and Maya. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Maya fights a nap. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Baby Feet. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Baby Cheeks. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Paris Family. 2011. Tempe, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

A Farewell to YES

These are sad times for newspapers. I’m thankful I don’t work for one anymore — although I’m happy to pick up the occasional freelance assignment. In late, June Gannett Corporation, who owns The Arizona Republic, my previous employer, announced another round of layoffs — 700 total. Included in the most recent round of cutbacks was YES, the Arizona Republic style section which ran every Friday.

In its many forms as a publication — tab, glossy, broadsheet — YES brought fashion to a community that thrived on shopping and looking good. The section and its writers supported local boutiques, designers and talent. Yes, it was fluff — but after a week of reading about Arizona politics and border fights, an article about neutrals or wedges was refreshing.

The YES crew — a stunning collection of fashionable young women, with the exception of me in my blue jeans and Chaco sandals — had one of the coolest jobs in a newsroom. We worked in the best parts of Arizona — Jerome, Sedona, Flagstaff. We traveled to Mexico for photo shoots on the beach. During our busy season we worked on two fashion shoots a week.

YES is the reason I came to Arizona. YES is the reason I loved my job. And YES is the reason I can work today as a commercial photographer. Thank you for the education.

Here are some of my favorite images from my three years with YES.

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Shauna Thibault. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Shauna Thibault. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Shauna Thibault. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Model: Ford Robert Black. Stylist: Stephanie Armenta. Makeup/Hair: Laura Flagler.

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Casey Hagerty. Makeup/Hair: Jacqueline Passos. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Laura Flagler.

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Michele Lee

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Shauna Thibault. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Model: Ford Robert Black. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Shauna Thibault. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Shauna Thibault. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Shauna Thibault. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Shauna Thibault. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Stephanie Armenta. Makeup/Hair: Shauna Thibault.

Model: Agency AZ. Stylist: Ginger Murphy. Makeup/Hair: Laura Flagler. Art Director: Celine Hacche

Chef Ron Dimas at Orange Sky

Chef Ron Dimas. 2011. Scottsdale, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Fig Jam and Orange Sky dining room. 2011. Scottsdale, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

I love photographing food. I love talking food even more, especially with a chef like Ron Dimas — whose passion for food is wonderfully contagious. I photographed him while on assignment for Phoenix Valley Guide magazine. He's a lover of ethnic food, mom and pop restaurants and Sriracha hot sauce. We compared notes on the best hole-in-the-wall eateries, all while standing in the dining room of the gorgeous Orange Sky restaurant on the 15th floor of Talking Stick Resort. I wonder if he slips any Sriracha into the chile citrus veal chop or the tobacco fried onion. I bet it would be delicious.

Holga: Marfa, TX

El Cosmico. 2010. Marfa, TX. ©Jill Richards Photography

Holga: Pacific Coast Highway

Waves crashing at Pfeiffer Beach. 2010. Big Sur, CA. ©Jill Richards Photography

Sunbathing at Pfeiffer Beach. 2010. Big Sur, CA. ©Jill Richards Photography

Pacific Coast Highway. 2010. Big Sur, CA. ©Jill Richards Photography