Information
Who am I?
My name is Marjolein and I’ve been photographing births since the beginning of 2017. I have been a photographer since the early age of 14, almost 35 years ago. I try to find new subjects that really interest and intrigue me. The pure and strong emotions surrounding a birth, the are what really triggers me. I love to be able to capture these moments for eternity.
Because of work my partner had to move to Curacao (in the South Caribbean, close to Aruba) in 2016 for work. In the Netherlands I already wanted to pick up birth photography but it’s kind of hard to get started from nowhere. Every birth can only be captured once and without a portfolio parents can be hesitant.
Curaçao turned out ti be the perfect place to get started! Not only because of the perfect weather conditions and the easy island lifestyle but mostly because I was the only birth photographer!
I started a Facebook-page (and sponsored ads) to get some attention and rumour ‘round the brand’ and to let people know that there was a real profession birth photographer on the island. I named my company Curaçao Nasemento. Nasemento is Papiamentu (local language on the Antillian islands) for ‘birth’. It was an instant succes. It didn’t take long before I could finally photograph my first birth. In the past few years I photographed 30-35 births on the island and maybe it’s cliché but ‘every birth is truly different’.
On Curaçao I photographed births in the Kraamkliniek (Birthing Clinic), in Sint Elisabeth Hospitaal and in peoples homes. I loved seeing local customs surrounding a birth in the various places. Maybe a little more primitive than under Western European circumstances but always with a lot of love and care for moms and babies.
In 2019 the assignment of my partner ended and we moved back tot he Netherlands, with a heavy heart. It took us a while to get used to being back in the routine. We were so used tot the outdoor lifestyle and the easy-goingness of people. No rush, just laid back. It took us sometime to settle in under the new circumstances. And the Duth weather didn’t help 😉 After a little while I felt it was time… time to pick up my passion again!
I’ve renamed my Facebook-page Curaçao Nasemento to First Impressions Birth Photography so I don’t loose all the work (and comments) of my followers and clients.
Gear?
I work with a light sensitive Nikon Z7 mirrorless camera. Because it’s mirrorless I can take my pictures even more candid because you can not hear the shutter. I carry two lenses with me at all times, a 24-70 mm 2.8 and the 50 mm 1.4. To be prepared for everything I always bring a back up camera, a Nikon D800e. The Nikon Z7 (and the D800e) are both very light sensitive so even with very poor lighting conditions I can still take perfect pictures without using a flash.
Whenever I am on stand by, I am aware 24/7 that I can get a call that the baby is coming. At those times I make sure that my car is gassed up, the batteries of my camera’s are fuller than full and that I bring enough empty memory cards.
I prefer to shoot my birth like a ‘fly on the wall’, I am there but you hardly notice my presence. I remain calm and always in the background and ai mto shoot my pictures as candid as possible.
If you’re still reading and you’ve become curious about me and my work, don’t forget to take a look at my portfolio pages or on my Facebook-page. Please bear in mind that all photo’s have been placed with permission of the parents.
I really hope we get to meet each other soon for a cup of coffee (or tea) to talk about the photo possibilities.