A PAIR of mums, who run their own photography business 'The First Hello Project', speak of the magical moment they capture parents first meet their newborns.

Photographers Bel Pangburn and River Bennett have the huge privilege of witnessing and documenting the raw human emotion that comes with childbirth.

And speaking of the life-changing occasion, the women told Daily Mail Australia: "There is so much intensity in the room.

"There is nothing staged or posed just raw human emotion and capturing that is what we are most passionate about.

"We always feel so honoured to be part of that moment in time.

"There is nothing quite like seeing a baby being born. It never leaves you."

As Bel is mum to three boys and River has a two-year-old daughter, they know about the joy, pain, excitement and sheer elation of meeting a newborn after hours in labour.

And it's because of this the two set up 'The First Hello Project', which aims to record the first breath, the first touch, the first cry, the first hello.

After both finding a love for photographing birth journeys, the two women decided to start the business so they could capture the unforgettable moments for a couple.

They share their stunning, raw and emotional photos on Instagram and have received an overwhelming response to their powerful work.

Related stories

One mum-to-be, who the women had photographed, said the pictures were like looking back in time at a beautiful moment.

"Seeing images of my daughter's journey into the world after one month, one year, and now almost three years, I’m taken back to those moments and experience them in new ways," she wrote.

"I am reminded of the strength I never knew I was capable of, the depth of emotion on my husband’s face, and that moment – the moment my little love looked up into my eyes and stole my heart."

"The baby was born 'en caul' – meaning the baby was born in the amniotic sac which hadn't broken yet," they explained.

"It's a one in 80,000 chance to see it. It was beyond amazing."

Often the two recall on their own birthing experiences to help guide their project and them put themselves in their subjects shoes.

"My first birth experience was a bit traumatic to be honest," River revealed.

"I had severe high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia) which meant Zion was born prematurely at 30 weeks.

"Because I wasn't allowed to see Zion due to us both being in separate parts of the hospital, the midwife had taken a Polaroid picture of Zion and came in and gave it to me.

"That picture was everything to me. It was all I knew of my son until a few days later when I got to see him in person.

"I still look at that Polaroid picture today and I know how grateful I am that that midwife took that photo for me."

Source: Read Full Article