Warning: This project contains graphic photographs of childbirth that may be disturbing to some viewers.
After photographer Christian Berthelot‘s son was born through a caesarian section procedure, an obstetrician at the hospital asked the Berthelot if he wanted to shoot a series of photos showing her work in the operating room — a strange and graphic view that most people never see. Berthelot immediately agreed.
The process of making the images was a long one. Berthelot tells us that it took six months to get trained in how he can take pictures in a surgical environment. There was also the task of getting permission from the clinic and the approval of the mothers involved.
For his first photo shoot, Berthelot was asked to cover an operation that was held at 8am. He slept badly the night before, and says he “didn’t even know how he felt” during the whole thing. “I hid behind my camera and I did my job,” Berthelot says, “I knew I was not going to look at the world the same way.”
Eventually Berthelot and the hospital began to offer a photography services for moms who wish to document the birth of their baby, and his project “CAESAR” was born. It’s a series of portraits showing the first moments of babies lives after they’re removed from the womb.
Here are some of the portraits in the series so far (Berthelot has photographed over 40 births already). Each of these babies was photographed less than 20 seconds after being born. Again, be warned: these are quite graphic:
Mael – born on 13.12.2013 at 4:52 p.m. 2kg 800-18-second life
Steven – born on 12.21.2013 at 4:31 p.m. 2kg 425-15-second life
Romane – born on 05/20/2014 at 10:51. 2kg 935-8 seconds Life
Leanne – born on 04.08.2014 at 8:31. 1kg 745-13-second life
Lize – born on 24.12.2013 at 8:49. 3kg 574-9 seconds Life
Louann – born on 12/04/2013 at 8:40. 3kg 574-14-second life
Liza – born on 26/2/2013 at 8:45. 3kg 200-3 seconds Life
Kevin – born on 12/27/2013 at 10:36. 4kg 366-13-second life
Berthelot says he understands that many people will have negative reactions to this work:
I know there are people who react very badly, who find it disgusting, they tell me that I do not have the right to show the children in the bloodstream, some even told me that it is not real, it is not true. This is absurd, children are not born in cabbages or roses. And there are those who are fascinated, I give them the opportunity to observe in detail the violence of birth, but there are also people like my wife, who encouraged me to do this work, because c is beautiful birth.
You can find more images from this project on Berthelot’s website.
Image credits: Photographs by Christian Berthelot and used with permission
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