Cradle of Life

I'm not a baby person and not inclined to the Anne Geddes type thing but something about this photo, New Arrival, really struck me as fab.

Saw this at Flickr from a photographer by the name of katbphotos and she was saying she wanted to use tulle instead the next time.  Lord, no!  

The cheesecloth gives an organic texture and realness to the piece that is very powerful.  I cannot imagine what the hell she must have been thinking to even contemplate tulle.  Next, she might want to sprinkle star dust on the baby ... Shudder!

Among the comments was a reference to yet another famous Flickr photographer, shutterblog, who apparently had had the same idea before.  The colour is gorgeous but I still prefer the one by ktabphotos.  Somehow, the stark contrast of the black velvet and the pristine yet weathered paleness of the cheesecloth works so well in highlighting the baby.  Shutterblog's one is just a little too Anne Geddes cutesy for me.

Even if katbphotos had unwittingly produced a powerful statement (I will never get over the tulle leaning), I think New Arrival portrays the beauty of birth and life perfectly.  It's not all pretty.  There's grit and strength behind the paucity and seeming fragility of new life.