Farzin Sahebjam, Vernix (DOCO 2022)

"Vernix" showcases a series I captured while my daughter was being born via Cesarean in Tasmania, Australia. My main objective of this series other than capturing photos from my own daughter, was to focus on the natural covering of the newborn when is just out of the womb. As a person who never imagined being a parent one day, this 30-minute procedure from incision to observing your own baby was one the most life-changing moments to experience. I was holding my massive Canon EOS 5D mark II with a giant 85mm Sigma art lens in one hand and was confused whether to look through the viewfinder or to witness the actual event happening in front of my eyes. The bottom line of this series is that newborns are born the way I have tried to capture, covered in vernix and blood, and this natural phenomenon is truly fascinating. Settings used: ISO 640, F1.4, 1/1250s

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.