Tuesday, 08 May 2012
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What Do You Think? Real or Fake?
Professional photographer Lynsey Stone recently won the 2011 National Geographic photo contest grand prize ( 10,000 bucks!) with this photo of her delivering her baby into her husband's hands. The photo was entitled "I Love You Baby," which Ms. Stone said she was yelling at the time the photo was snapped.
Personally, I doubt that. Her expression in the photo suggests that she was actually yelling "THIS ******ING HURTS!!!!" but I digress.
Anyway there's been a great deal of controversy over this photo because many people do not believe that this was a genuine childbirth being snapped. When the photo was posted on a popular blog for new mothers most of the commentators believed that the photo was "staged." The setting seemed too polished. Ms. Stone's physique seemed too trim for a woman in late pregnancy. Her hair was too clean and shiny. The pose too camera-perfect. Many commentators asked: is the photo a fake? Is this really a childbirth?
I personally think the scene is real. Oh sure Ms. Stone, like any good photographer, arranged the shot as well as possible considering the circumstances. The pose isn't perfect. The top of her head is chopped off. Also the distension of her veins and her expression of genuine pain, strain and effort as she pushes out her child looks real.
Still, I can understand people being suspicious. The shadow modestly hiding her genitals seems a bit too well-placed. There has clearly been some touch-up work as is seen by the tastefully blurred background and the well-defined foreground figures. There is precious little sign of stretchmarks or pregnancy imperfections besides the bulging navel on Ms. Stone, but hey... some women are like that during pregnancy. Don't be hating.
Frankly it's easy to want to hate on Ms. Stone because even during the peak of agony she looks fantastic... and she's clearly a great photographer who has won a bunch of cash for just doing what she loves. I think this photo is real... but I'll admit that I'm not one hundred percent sure.
What do you think Momaroos? Is this photo real or fake?
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Comments (67)
Real, but touched up. It's a brilliant photo!
As for the position... everyone who says it's fake due to positioning, this is a suggested birthing position, not strange at all and in my opinion, it trumps laying down.
I would advise watching "The Business of Being Born". It talks about home births vs hospital births and shows women giving birth naturally, much like this woman.
Laying down is actually harder on our bodies and the babies than being on our knees.
Real, and amazing.
I don't think it is real because she is not squatting. Also the fact that she is not learning onto anything makes me wonder.
From a mother who has had natural child birth experience FOUR times,
Rose
@Lifestartstoday@xanga - Okay, I just now saw the second entry that someone posted and it now convinces me. This particular picture didn't convince me because of the touch-ups.
I find the photo disturbing, real or not. But then again, I'm a big wuss.
real, you can see the vag all stretched out and opened up
@At_Sixes_And_Sevens@xanga - Taking a big poop is EXACTLY what it feels like to birth a baby. You use the exact same muscles, and it feels exactly like it's coming out of your anus, or that you ARE pooping (which sometimes happens as well). And you could use grown-up words. Like vagina. It's allowed.
@amyunicorn@xanga - Birthing my son definitely did not feel like taking a big giant dump. And I disagree that it's the exact same muscles. Kegels are a demonstration of that.
Then again, my son's birth was unmedicated, vacuum assisted, and labor and birth was only 45 minutes - I thought I was dying of a heart attack it hurt so much. Defecation it was not.
Up until I finally got my epidural, I spent the majority of my labor on my knees just like that. Had I remained unmedicated, I would've given birth like that, too.
And oh no, she looks too trim to be in late pregnancy? All I see is a woman who clearly took care of herself through the entire duration. Not every pregnant woman is a fat, sweating mess.
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - I thought I was pooping until the doctor said "There's the shoulders." I'm happy and relieved to say there was only a baby and no poo.
It's real.
FYI this photo is NOT of the photographer (Lynsey Stone) giving birth herself - it's of a friend who asked her to be there to capture the birth of her son, Phoenix.
Read it for yourself on her blog: http://www.dfwbirthphotographer.com/home/?cat=20 (April 14th, 2009)
Also here on her older blog: http://www.dfwbirthphotographer.com/blog/
People should definitely get their facts right before they share with the public.
Oh, and here's a youtube vid of the slideshow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Levzbvq5xoA
It's beautiful either way.
OP, please consider posting a link to Stone's webpage detailing the picture you provided.
http://www.dfwbirthphotographer.com/home/?p=1282
This is the mother's birth story. According to the story on her blog, Stone was the attending birth photographer, only. Makes it easier to get all those shots from the third-person perspective.
that won a national geographic contest??? wow what a fucking joke....i just stopping loving nat geo so much
what the fuck. how do you get a job taking pictures like that. seriously. what the fuck.
I hope this picture is memorialized for eternity because it's so twisted and fucked up that I decided to never have kidsI feel like it's fake because it would be extremely difficult to push a baby out while sitting in that position.
I don't know if it's real or not but God I wish I hadn't seen it.
@Adrenaline_Unknown@xanga - that's a recommended birthing position. It's much better to give birth on your knees than it is lying down.
I don't think the background is edited. I'm a photography major and that's called Depth of field. And surprisingly enough there is quite a lot of award winning photography that is set up.
I didn't know you could give birth on your knees
Dear Lord, what have I done. This site is horrific.
@MHYLMF@xanga - Actually, that is the position that they tell women to give birth in if they are ever on their own. It prevents the baby from falling to far to the floor while still allowing the mom to push the baby out without the help of a trained professional.
Oh, I thought this was a porn pic. Nvm.