The First "Hello": A Photo Project About the First Meeting of a Mother and Baby

Nothing compares to the joy, pain, fears and admiration of meeting your own child for the first time. Pure human emotions at the deepest level are shown in the photo project “The First Hello” (The First Hello Project).

Two Sydney mums, Bel Pangburn and River Bennett, document everything that happens between babies and parents in the first hours after birth.

Together, the women are working on The First Hello Project — “First breath. First touch. First cry. First hello.” The idea for the project was born out of Belle and River’s passion for birth photography and documenting this unforgettable moment for the family. They post their bright and emotional photos on social media, thus celebrating new life.

The response to their work was overwhelming, with one client writing a touching note describing what it was like to look back at her baby's birth photos after the fact.

Every birth story is unique, but there was one that Bell and River will never forget: a baby born in the amniotic sac.

The photographers themselves have children. River has three sons, and Belle has a two-year-old daughter. The mothers say their own experiences of childbirth helped shape the direction of the project, and because they have given birth themselves, they can relate to their subjects.