15th
annual
birth photography
image competition
The results are in!
The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Birth Photography Image Competition! Thank you to each and every entrant who participated this year and, of course, the families who agreed to share their birth moments with the world!
First
Place
– Artist
Anna Garvey
– Image –
“Surrender To The Wave”
– Location –
United States
The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Birth Photography Image Competition!
This year’s submissions are nothing short of breathtaking and powerful. This year, for the first time ever since the start of our annual competition in 2012, we hosted our Awards Gala Dinner.This year our Gala Dinner was held in Los Angeles. During our Gala Dinner, we were able to showcase our winners in print form and livestream the reveal live on Youtube. All images have been shared with the permission of the family and the photographer. Please respect their choice and copyright. Do not copy, print or save any of the images. Please share a link to this page!
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Please note: While birth is beautiful, it is also messy and real. You should expect nudity when viewing the entries. Be sure to scroll down to view all of the gorgeous entries from this year.
Judges’ Award Titles
A couple of years ago, we made changes to the structure of our categories and award titles since 2019. In addition to our returning four main categories of Birth Details, Labor, Delivery and Postpartum, we choose to continue to offer another category: Hardship & Loss. This year we have added our Members’ Choice Awards subcategories as an award and brought back Peoples’ Choice Award. We are thrilled to be awarding so many new titles for this year’s competition because experience has taught us that there was always more entrants that are deserving of recognition than there were award titles.
Below are a list of the titles we will be awarding for each main category in 2025:
Best Overall First Place
Best Overall Birth Details
Best Overall Labor
Best Overall Delivery
Best Overall Postpartum
Best Overall Hardship & Loss
In addition, we have added the following subcategory titles to be awarded by our judges:
Best in Birth Details: Documentary
Best in Birth Details: Fine Art
Best in Labor: Black & White
Best in Labor: Documentary
Best in Labor: Fine Art
Best in Delivery: Black & White
Best in Delivery: Documentary
Best in Delivery: Fine Art
Best in Postpartum: Black & White
Best in Postpartum: Documentary
Best in Postpartum: Fine Art
Members’ Choice Award Titles
Below are a list of the titles we will be awarding for each main category in 2025 awarded by our members:
Members’ Choice Best Overall
Members’ Choice Best Overall Birth Details
Members’ Choice Best Overall Labor
Members’ Choice Best Overall Delivery
Members’ Choice Best Overall Postpartum
Members’ Choice Best Overall Hardship & Loss
For the first time, we have added the following subcategory titles to be awarded by our members:
Best in Birth Details: Documentary
Best in Birth Details: Fine Art
Best in Labor: Black & White
Best in Labor: Documentary
Best in Labor: Fine Art
Best in Delivery: Black & White
Best in Delivery: Documentary
Best in Delivery: Fine Art
Best in Postpartum: Black & White
Best in Postpartum: Documentary
Best in Postpartum: Fine Art
People’s Choice Award
For the first time in 6 years, we have added our Peoples’ Choice Award to the 2025 IAPBP Image Competition:
Best Overall
Second Place
Third Place
Continue scrolling to view all the winners from our 2024 Image Competition. Happy browsing!
2025 Judges’ Award
Overall Category Winners
Best Overall: First Place
Anna Garvey of Anna Garvey Photography
“Surrender to the Wave“
Best In Labor
Dana Jacobs of St Louis Birth & Baby
“A Moment Before Becoming Dads”
Best In Delivery
Stephanie Entin of Little Plum Photography
“Enveloped”
Best In Birth Details
Sanne van Schaik of Sanne Mylene Fotografie
“I Got You”
Best In Postpartum
Colleen Murtha of Colleen Murtha Photography
“Dizzy Spells”
Best In Hardship & Loss
Sara Hunter of Sara Hunter Photo
“Baby Brynnley“
2025 Subcategory Winners
Best In Birth Details: Black & White
Sara Avila of sara.fotografia
“Bond That Never Will Be Broken“
Best In Labor: Black & White
Leona Darnell of Birth and Beauty
“I Am With You”
Best In Labor: Fine Art
Ania Wibig of Obiektywnie Najpiekniejsze
“Lines of Life“
Best In Delivery: Documentary
Naomi Vonk of Naomi Vonk Photography
“Emotions“
Best In Delivery: Fine Art
Danny Merz of Geburtsreportage
“Cocooned”
Best In Postpartum: Fine Art
Randi Armstrong of The Nurturing Company
“First Embrace”
Best In Birth Details: Documentary
Lesley Hoogendoorn of Life Story by Leslie
“Fresh in Fathers Arms”
Best In Birth Details: Fine Art
Deborah van Bruchem of Noa Fotografie
“Tears of Sorrow: Transition to the ER at 32 weeks “
Best In Labor: Documentary
Natalie Broders of Portland Birth Photographer Natalie Broders
“Surges Rising With The Sun”
Best In Delivery: Black & White
Jessica Dory of Birth 5280 Denver
“Ready or Not…
Best In Postpartum: Black & White
Brittany Geisen of Gather Birth Cooperative
“I’ve Got You Mom”
Best In Postpartum: Documentary
Hanna Troch of Hanna Troch Geboortegotografie
“Nine Months Later”
Hardship & Loss 2025 Winner Overall
Hardship
& Loss
– Artist-
Sara Hunter
– Image –
“Baby Brynnley”
– Location –
United States
Thank you to our 2025 Competition Judges
2025 Members’ Choice Award
Overall
Winner
– Artist
Jaleesa Koelen
– Image –
“Nebula of Life”
– Location –
Netherlands
Members’ Choice 2025 Category Winners
Members' Choice: Best Overall
Jaleesa Koelen of Jaleesa Koelen Fotografie
“Nebula of life”
Members' Choice: Best In Delivery
Vanessa Amiot of Vanessa Amiot Photographie
“Pretty Little Foot”
Members' Choice: Best In Hardship & Loss
Marjolein Roosien of Verwonder Fotografie
“I’ll Always Be your Big Brother”
Members' Choice: Best In Birth Details
Ania Wibig of Obiektywnie Najpiekniejsze
“Following the traces”
Members' Choice: Best In Labor
Ania Wibig of Obiektywnie Najpiekniejsze
“Supported from the shadow”
Members' Choice: Best In Postpartum
Jessica Innemee of Vi Photography
“A Split Second After Birth
2025 Member’s Choice Subcategory Winners
Best In Birth Details: Black & White
Alaina Nunez of Alaina Nunez Photography
“Birth Day Frosting”
Best In Labor: Black & White
Danny Merz of Geburtsreportage
“the divine strength”
Best In Labor: Fine Art
Marjolein Roosien of Verwonder Fotografie
“See Or Not See, She’s Almost There”
Best In Delivery: Documentary
Eva Thomassen of Eva Thomassen Fotografie
“It’s a new day, it’s a new life”
Best In Delivery: Fine Art
Anne Lucy of Anne Lucy Fotografia
“Love of my Life “
Best In Postpartum: Fine Art
Colleen Murtha of Colleen Murtha Photography
“Dizzy Spells”
Best In Birth Details: Documentary
Erin Loughlin of Loughlin Birth
“OR Prep; Moment’s Unseen”
Best In Birth Details: Fine Art
Inge Berken of Inge Berken Geboortefontograaf
“Veil of Live: The Womb’s Final Embrace”
Best In Labor: Documentary
Jessica Dory of Birth 5280 Denver
“Breathe Your Baby Down”
Best In Delivery: Black & White
Stephanie Entin of Little Plum Photography
“Encircled by Love”
Best In Postpartum: Black & White
Rocío Servera Fernandez of Rocío Servera Fernandez
“WE WERE WAITING FOR YOU!”
Best In Postpartum: Documentary
Jessica Innemee of Vi Photography
“Two worlds separated by a sheet “
Netherlands
2025 People’s Choice Winner
First
Place
– Artist
Ania Wibig
– Image –
“Supported from the shadow”
– Location –
Poland
2025 People’s Choice Winners
People's Choice Second Place
People's Choice Third Place
Vanessa Amiot of Vanessa Amiot Photographie
“Pretty Little Foot”
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mention
Lauren Brown of Birth By Honey Brown
“By The Light Of The Tub”
Honorable Mention
Eva Thomassen of Eva Thomassen Fotografie
“The Last Hurdle“
Honorable Mention
Rocio Servera Fernandez of Rocio Servera
“It’s Justa Little Growth Spurt”
Honorable Mention
Tina Bologna of Tina Bologna Fotografia
“Face Earthside”
Honorable Mention
Alexandra Fleischer of The Antwerp Doula
“Where Science Meets Life”
Honorable Mention
Julia Fracheboud of Dans Les Yeux De Julia Photographe
“Beautiful And Gentle Epidural”
Honorable Mention
Moniek Aansorgh of Moniek Aansorgh Fotografie
“Here I Am”
Honorable Mention
Michele Riesch of Michele Riesch Familien & Fotografie
“Cradled In Births Embrace
Honorable Mention
Larissa Van De Geer of Bevalling In Beeld
“One Cut Away From Forever Together”
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Lesley Hoogendoorn of Life Story By Lesley
“Enter the world upside down”
Honorable Mention
Diana Hinek of Dear Birth
“Bound And Free”
Honorable Mention
Natalie Broders of Portland Birth Photographer Natalie Broders
“Curiosity At The Water’s Edge”
Honorable Mention
Magdalena Jones of Lena Jones Photography
“In Birth Business”
Honorable Mention
Ania Wibig of Obiektywnie Najpiekniejsze
“Upside Down”
Honorable Mention
Lesley Hoogendoorn of Life Story By Lesley
“Enter the world with eye wide open”
Honorable Mention
Alexandra Fleischer of The Antwerp Doula
“Raw Power, True Peace”
Honorable Mention
Natalie Broders of Portland Birth Photographer Natalie Broders
“When Will The Baby Be Here”
Honorable Mention
Inge Berken of Inge Berken Geboortefontograaf
“The First Touch Of Forever”
Honorable Mention
Deborah Van Bruchem of Noa Fotografie
“Birth Magic: Bunnies And Unicorns In The Middle Of The Night. A Fairytale Come True”
Honorable Mention
Lesley Hoogendoorn of Life Story By Lesley
“Closing Up”
Honorable Mention
Tabetha Garcia of Rolling Hills Photography
“Catching Life”
Honorable Mention
Kristen Fortier of New Moon Doula
“Two Doulas
2025 Image Competition Finalists
Overall Competition Finalists
Overall Competition Finalist
Sara Hunter of Sara Hunter Photo
“Baby Brynnley”
Overall Competition Finalist
Colleen Murtha of Colleen Murtha Photography
“Dizzy Spells”
Birth Details Finalists
Birth Details Finalist
Sara Avila of Sara Fotografia
“Bond That Will Never Be Broken”
Birth Details Finalist
Ania Wibig of Obiektywnie Najpiekniejsze
“Making Memories”
Delivery Finalists
Delivery Finalist
Jessica Dory of Birth 5280 Denver
“Ready Or Not..”
Delivery Finalist
Cynthia Van Stiphout of Cynthia’s Fotografie
“I’ll Pick You Up & Never Let You Go”
Labor Finalists
Labor Finalist
Anna Garvey of Anna Garvey Photography
“Surrender To The Wave”
Labor Finalist
Ania Wibig of Obiektywnie Najpiekniejsze
“Supported From The Shadow”
Loss & Hardship Finalists
Loss & Hardship Finalist
Marjolein Roossien of Verwonder Fotografie
“I’ll Always Be Your Big Brother”
Loss & Hardship Finalist
Anna Garvey of Anna Garvey Photography
“The Closest I Got To Holding You In My Arms”
Postpartum Finalists
Postpartum Finalist
Jessica Innemee of VI Photography
“Two Worlds Separated By A Sheet”
Postpartum Finalist
Hanna Troch of Hanna Troch Geboortegotografie
“Nine Months Later”
Top 10% and Top 20%
Surrender to the Wave
Baby Brynnley
Dizzy Spells
I Got You
I'll Always Be Your Big Brother
Supported from the Shadow
Ready or Not...
I\'ll Pick You Up and Never Let You Go
Bond That Never Will Be Broken
Mother, Warrior, Deliverer
Nine Months Later
Emotions
Making Memories
Following the Traces
Fresh in Fathers Arms
Tears of Sorrow: Transition to the Er at 32 Weeks
Curiosity at the Water's Edge
Encouraging the Rhythm
Enveloped
The Closest I Got to Holding You in My Arms
Mama's Got You, Baby
Big Brother Birth Photographer
A Moment Before Becoming Dads
Healing Moment
Skin to Skin Bliss
Tie Breaker
Cocooned
Surges Rising with the Sun
Reflective Support
Three Hearts, One Heartbeat
Encircled by Love
Nebula of Life
A New Day Has Dawned. When the Sun Rises, New Life Is About to Begin.
Labor Gateway
Lines of Life
The Luminous Treshold
Two Worlds Separated by a Sheet
Birth Landscape
The First Touch of Forever
Chapter Closed
About Welcoming Life with Open Arms
Hello Brother
In All Her Glory
First Embrace
Just the Two of Us for One More Moment
Under Pressure
Nestled in the Arms of Love
Breath of Life
Instant Love
Bite of Resolve
Unified Strength
String of Life
Head in the Clouds
Or Prep; Moment's Unseen
Exhale
In Between Waves
Elevator to Birth Heaven
Face Earthside
Pretty Little Foot
Cradled in Her Arms
The Last Mile
Excited Nurse
In Labor
The First Glimpse of Lifes Journey
Paparazzi
Love Multiplies Where It Is Divided
Veil of Live: the Womb's Final Embrace
A Split Second After Birth
Everything Under Control
A Pile of Love
The World Stood Still
First Kiss
I Am with You
What Happens Behind the Curtain
Woven & Wrinkled
I'll Always Be with You
Love of My Life
Breathing from Calmness
Breathe Your Baby Down
After Waiting All Night
Layers of Support
15 Minutes on Earth Forever in Our Hearts
Power
Catching Their Baby Together (an Unexpected Homebirth)
Between Strength and Surrender
Family-birth-2024
The Shower Kiss
Splash!
Portrait of Labor
Holding Space
I've Got You Mom
Every Hand Has It's Purpose
Emerging into the Light
Enter the World with Eye Wide Open
Giving Birth with a Smile
The Eye of the Storm
Peek-a-boo
Choo Choo
Outlines of Us
Two Doulas
The Invisible Umbilical Cord
Together
Overwhelming Welcoming
Patient Hands
Bliss
Her Body Leads the Way
Rings in the Water
Eye in Eye
Birth Day Frosting
It's a New Day, It's a New Life
Legacy of Love
A Mother's First Touch
The Art of the First Poop
In the Calm After the Storm My Empty Belly My Heart Filled with Love
Afterparty
Another Man in the House.
The Edge of Arriving
Renaissance Reverie
The Divine Strength
The Wave
The Joy in Her Face
Surrender to the Inevitable: a Single Tear
Guiding the Dance of the Third Stage
My Best Friend
Right Here
The Heart Stopped
Who Will Eat the Banana?
Whispered Welcome
Emotional First Encounter
Unveiled
Ambrosia
The Most Excited Birth Team Ever
Caught by Her Own Hands
Falling Through Worlds
Emptiness
Everything Is Connected
Sweet Relief
Held in the Curve of the Moon
Safest in Your Arms
The Birth Zone
Like a Bosch
Almost Ready to Start New Life
Looking for a Heartbeat
Hands Off
Held
I Really Hug You My Rainbow Girl
The Origin and the End
A Mother's Infinite Moment : When Time Stands Still
The Queen of the or: All Eyes on Her
In Safe Arms
Little Midwife Assistant
Where Science Meets Life
Breathe, Before She Breathes
Into Daddy\'s Hands
Between Frequency and Light
Waters of Life
The New Family of Four
Tranquility
See or Not See, She's Almost There
Hands on
Infinite Connection
A Big Impression
Decisions
The Fine Details
Liminal Space
The Circle Is Round
This Sweet Moment
Postpartumish
Blowing Bubbles
Holding Space, Paw and Hand
Unwavering Love
Yin and Yang
Barefoot and Tethered to the Source
When Love Couldn't Wait
Roar Her Out
Cradled in Connection: a Labyrinth of Love.
Exhausted
The Work of Birth
Veiled Intensity
By the Light of the Tub
I Gase into Your Eyes and I Am Whole
Anencephaly Baby Sister
Hellos and Goodbyes
Like a Doll
Shape & Shadow
Surrounded by Blood
When Mom Cant
Emerged
Entering
When Mother Needs Her Mother
Riding the Waves
Holding Hands
Divine Timing - When You Wake Up in the Middle of the Night Just in Time to See Your Little Baby Brother Being Born Under Water.
Every Hand Has His Own Task
All Hands on Board
The Weight of This Moment
Pass Baby to Dad
I'll Guide You
First Touch
Born Through the Cord of Life
Your Family Awaits
Strength in Support
Taking a Moment
With a Splash
Birth Magic: Bunnies and Unicorns in the Middle of the Night. a Fairytale Come True.
Kaleidoscope
Up in the Air
Team Work
Frosted
Held
So Proud
The Innocence of Hello & Goodbye
Droplets
Emotions
Hanging on
Water Full of Stars
Upside Down
Light in the Dark
Band of Brothers
Beautiful and Gentle Épidural
Full Lotus Baby
Battle Cry
Victory After Trauma
Art Imitates Life or Does Life Imitate Art?
My Hands, My Power, My Baby
First Examination
Raw Power True Peace
Comfort Zone
Work-love Balance
Genesis
Giving Back
Supporting the Forever Held Foundation
We are proud to support the Forever Held foundation with a portion of the proceeds from our 2025 Annual Birth Photography Image Competition.
Losing a child is an experience of deep love and deep grief, as love and grief are closely intertwined.
Grief is a journey with many ups and downs, it doesn’t fit into a neat formula and it’s different for every person. We want you to know that your grief matters and you are not alone.
Each entry will:
By entering the 2025 IAPBP Image Competition, you will be kindly making a kind donation that will help Forever Held to provide short stay accommodation at no cost for parents grieving the loss of a child. With your help, we are creating space to grieve.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
