Meet Monet Nicole (she, her)
Each time I walk into a birth space, I take a deep breath. I can almost feel the potential in the room. A new life is on the brink of being born; a new story is writing its first chapter. But amidst the newness is so much more. Other stories. Older stories. Love, longing, redemption.
My job as a birth photographer is to capture this complexity - the layers upon layers that make our birth days some of the most memorable moments of our lives.
I live in the heart of Denver - in Platt Park - with my husband, Ryan, and our three vivacious daughters - Lucy, Eliza, and Dorothy - as well as our newest arrival - Grover. Our house is small, old, imperfect…but also full of so much character and love.
On most days I can’t believe that I get to do this incredible work as my job. I received my MFA in 2013, gave birth to my oldest daughter, Lucy, one month later, and then fell in love with photographing births shortly after. I am passionate about not only documenting these stories for my clients, but also about changing the narrative and culture around birth. These images and stories matter.
Monet Nicole - Birthing Stories is bigger than just me though. I created a team with Brittany Gamblin (one of my former clients!) so that we can give the families we serve the very best care and support. No matter how long your labor lasts or when it happens, one of us will be there. By sharing call, we're all able to take care of our bodies and our families. It allows us to continue to do the work that we love.
A few things I love:
taking long walks with Ry
drinking good coffee from Sweet Bloom
baking (I once made and decorated wedding cakes)
eating at Safta (those freshly baked pitas are DIVINE)
traveling with my kiddos (we love the pacific northwest and took our entire crew to Amsterdam and Paris last summer)
talking about birth (yes, I talk about placentas and vaginas at dinner parties sometimes)
working with my best friend, Jennifer Mason, at Birth Becomes You
My Own Birth Stories
In 2013, on a hot summer day, I felt my first contraction. At 1:51pm, I brought my daughter to my chest. She was covered in vernix with wet dark hair, and although I could barely see her in the dim room, I was completely in love. Giving birth was a profound and healing experience for me. To put it simply: it was the best day of my life. Hard and messy. Divine and transformative. A pivotal moment in both my life and my family’s story. And while I love our wedding photographs…they just can’t compare to the mystery and power of our births.
I’ve given birth three more times now, and each story has impacted me just as strongly. Birth teaches us invaluable lessons and gives us the most precious gift. You can read my most recent birth story here.