As Urshita Saini watched a woman in labour scream, the doubts from doctors and friends about her desire to pursue birth photography came rushing back. Snapping back to reality, she quickly took photos of the wailing newborn as her hands trembled.

It was the woman’s cries, not the blood, that stunned Urshita. “As soon as the baby started crowning, I clicked pictures and forgot everything about photography like framing, composition, and lighting,” she recalls.

Seeing the new parents overwhelmed by the photos, she felt a profound sense of purpose, having found her calling.

This was her first assignment on birth photography, which took place in April 2017, a time when the concept of clicking woman in labour was not well known in India.

Over the last seven-odd years, Urshita’s Delhi-based company ‘Momma Story’ has completed hundreds of birth shots.

Unlike planned pregnancy shoots, birth photography captures the actual arrival of a baby.

“This is a common phenomenon in the West, but here in India, if you tell someone that a pregnant lady will be captured naked and vulnerable while on the operation table, they will call you crazy,” Urshita remarks.

“Only after you see the images do you realise how precious they are,” she adds.

Despite her lack of interest in studies, Urshita studied law out of necessity. During her LLB, she found a passion for photography, transitioning from a digital camera to a DSLR while becoming the unofficial photographer of her family during social gatherings.

She learned early on to avoid auto mode in photography. She educated herself via YouTube, photo walks, and relentless practice, even shooting at 5 am in Chandni Chowk.

Two years of low-cost wedding freelancing led to a 2016 magazine job where she discovered her true passion. For its maternity issue, the magazine struggled to find a birth photographer.

Urshita met 20 doctors before a friend’s suggestion led her to a charitable IVF hospital. After many refusals, a couple agreed, leading to her first assignment.

Urshita has also trained as a doula, learning protocols such as where to stand and maintaining confidentiality during shoots. She adds that she had to unlearn her photography techniques and adjust to the erratic lighting of the OT.

She says the job’s unpredictable hours can be frustrating at times, putting a strain on one’s social life. She recalls once spending three days at the hospital waiting for a client to be in labour and taking no days off while setting up her team.

While hiring team members, Urshita first assesses whether job applicants can handle the intense birthing environment, which she describes as a “blood bath”. She then trains her team, hiring only women due to legal restrictions on males in delivery rooms.

Urshita is glad she ignored naysayers about birth photography. Her company, now recognised in major hospitals, has expanded to Tier-2 cities and beyond, including Pune, Bhopal, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

With a team of more than 30, they’ve broadened their services to include hand and feet casting and family photoshoots for the first year of a child’s life to preserve early memories.