Documenting authentic birth stories in Atlanta, for those
About Us
Unique from other birth workers in Atlanta, we work together as a team for each of our clients. It truly takes a village and by using a shared call model we are able to better serve the families we work with by providing them with support, expertise, and care from all of us.
Inviting someone into your birth space is a big deal and for so many of our clients it is important that they are familiar with the people who will be attending their birth. Working with all of us from day one ensures that you will have an established relationship with the person who comes to your birth. And while only one of us will be present for your labor and delivery, our integrated approach allows us to support each other and in turn provide a better experience for you.
Having relied on each other for support in the past as back up doula/photographers, we began to see that something was lacking from the Atlanta birth community. As photographers on our own we were always on call, and struggling to give our clients a strong sense of security in knowing, that no matter what, someone who cared for them and knew their preferences would be able to attend their birth if for some reason we could not.
So in 2018 we decided to come together, putting community over competition, and formed The Collective.
The Team
Chanda Williams
photographer.
birth doula.
Claire Mandrycky
photographer.
birth doula.
Brittany Knapik
photographer.
birth doula.
Love Notes
“Bottom line up front, THE BIRTH COLLECTIVE IS TE BEST OF THE BEST! I have been blessed to have had two experiences with Chanda of the Birth Collective and her talent is priceless. She is responsive, professional, and invisible. I mention invisible because she has a way of capturing everything somehow without being noticed! This is important during something as intimate as birthing. She has an eye for details that I and my family will be able to cherish for decades to come. The entire collective was warm and had true listening ears when we met prior to the 'big event'. This made me comfortable and confident that IF Chanda had somehow been unable to attend my birth the other two would be able to step right in and carry on. My daughter loves to watch her birth story and i am certain that my newborn will be the same. There is no price that I can attach to what Chanda has preserved for our family. The memories that may have otherwise been forgotten or mised (my mind was on birthing and i missed a couple of things during the process! Lol) have been captured in a way that really tells a story. And did I mention that Chanda is a doula as well?! That gives her a certain edge of understanding the process of birthing and allows her to anticipate what may be coming as the processes continues. This service is a genuine gift for anyone! I, without hesitation, HIGHLY recommend the Birth Collective.”
Some of our favorite pictures were of the small details: a tissue in a joyful grandmother's hand, a father's hands in his pockets as he waits anxiously, or a baby's tiny toes spread out while being held. Brittany has created a product for us that we will cherish forever. One day in the future, when we show our daughters these photographs, they will clearly see how much their birth was anticipated and how abundantly they are loved. Thank you!”
Chanda came to the hospital to capture our first moments as a family of four. Chanda was a great communicator and coordinating things with her was a breeze even when our daughter ended up in the NICU for the first 24 hours. She patiently waited for us to have her in our room and for the right time for our oldest daughter to be able to come meet her baby sister. Chanda put us at ease and made me forget the awkwardness of being photographed shortly after major surgery when so many things are going on. I felt comfortable and relaxed and we now have such lovely photos and a beautiful video to remember this time. We cry every time we watch it and it is something that we will cherish forever.
Claire came to our home a couple of weeks after our daughter was born and was great at coordinating things when the weather was dreary to make sure the lighting was right for the photos. She was patient with our four year old and made us all feel relaxed. The photos are lovely and we hope to have many more family sessions with her as our girls grow.”
We cannot express what it means to have these images and also to have had you by our side on this special day! While I wasn't sure if we needed/wanted a doula for our birth, it was 100% the best decision we could have made considering how things went when Ben was born. It made all the difference having someone with me providing support while Brett headed to the NICU with baby Ben. Thank you so much again and will definitely be recommending you(the whole team) to all my friends having babies!
"Even though my birth didn't end as originally expected, I couldn't have imagined it without you there documenting the journey.Thank you for your dedication and your amazing talent!"
"I agree with Erin! You were so wonderful. I felt like you were a part of our family by the end of the many hours you spent with us! I will forever be grateful for all the time, beautiful photos and the video you took! You definitely have a wonderful talent."
"Amazing. The photos-Chanda's energy-the support in my birthing time. I cannot say enough wonderful words about having Chanda participate in such an important day."
“Brittany eagerly got up in the middle of the night when labor began to ensure she was able to photograph labor at home before heading to the hospital. Brittany was always discreet and knew just the right place to be to get beautiful shots without being in the way of us, or the medical team. After birth, she captured the priceless reactions of our families when they met our daughter for the first time, and even came to our house a few days later to take some photos once we’d settled in.
The resulting photos beautifully tell the story of when a couple became a family. The time Brittany took meticulously choosing just the right images to capture the emotion in each moment, and putting them together with just the right music, resulted in a video that made us, as well as friends and family, weep with joy as we watched. We are beyond grateful for the time and care Brittany took to ensure we are able to remember our birth as the transformative and powerful experience it was."
What I didn't realize is that I wouldn't be just having a photographer by my side, I would have a friend and supporter.
When I wasn't able to VBAC for my son's delivery and had to scheduled a C-section, that didn't stop Brittany from wanting to be there to shoot as much as she could. At first I wondered what the point would be. She couldn't access the operating room and would miss the actual birth of my son, but she reassured me that the images would still capture his birth story. She was absolutely right. I look back at those pictures with such fondness as I relive the day that my son made us a family of four. Brittany can capture joy and beauty in a way I never thought possible. She brings to life moments that may get lost in the haze and busyness of birthing a child so that you'll never forget a second of such a momentous occasion."
“Making the decision to have her photograph our first child coming into the world was one of the best decisions we made. Everything from our first planning meeting, birth experience and the final images were everything I could have asked for & more :)”
"Chanda brought a calmingly, beautiful energy to our birth. She was so much more than we could've asked for in a doula and a birth photographer. She helped create and foster a space where my husband and I could easily and lovingly focus on one another as we brought our new child into this world. We would highly recommend her to anyone, and will always be thankful for her gracefulness and love."