Gettysburg Times "New Oxford native yearns to change the conversation around birth"

When Amie Bogart photographed a mother cradling her newborn in the water moments after birth, the Adams County native captured more than an intimate family milestone: she captured an image that would earn international recognition.

Bogart, a New Oxford native who lives in Hanover and owns Dove & Lioness Doula Services, recently received a Judges' Pick for Honorable Mention in the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers' (IAPBP) 2026 annual competition for her image "Held", making her the only Pennsylvania photographer recognized this year, according to Bogart.

"I am the only photographer representing Pennsylvania to be recognized in the competition this year," Bogart said. "The next closest awardees are located in Ohio and Florida."

IAPBP announced this year's winners March 20, according to the press release from the organization.  The 16th annual competition celebrates birth photography in four main categories, including birth details, labor, delivery and postpartum, according to the release. The competition is designed to recognize birth photographers and highlight the profession on an international platform.

For Bogart, the recognition is the latest milestone in a profession she did not originally plan to pursue.

Bogart describes herself as a birth and motherhood photographer, birth doula, and childbirth educator whose work centers on supporting families before, during and after childbirth, through both physical presence and visual storytelling.

A doula is a trained, nonclinical professional who provides physical, emotional and informational support before, during and after childbirth, helping clients navigate labor and postpartum recovery without performing medical tasks, Bogart said.  A birth photographer, meanwhile, documents labor, delivery and the first moments after birth in a way that is both respectful and unobtrusive, Bogart said.

"As a birth photographer, we capture raw, emotional and intimate moments, such as the first breath, skin-to-skin contact and family reactions, while also remaining unobtrusive and respectful of the birthing area and medical professionals," Bogart said.

Birth photography is often misunderstood by people who assume it focuses on the most graphic parts of labor, when in reality it is more about preserving a family's story, according to Bogart.

"The birth of your child is a moment in time you can't go back to," Bogart said. "You can never return to the day you meet your child, and ultimately you will forget a lot of it."

Many families use birth photography to help process, celebrate and remember a life-changing day that can otherwise be blurred by pain, adrenaline and exhaustion, Bogart said.

Her interest in birth began long before she ever picked up a camera. Homeschooled until ninth grade and later a Delone Catholic High School student, she was fascinated by pregnancy and birth as a child, even before she understood it as a career path, she said.

"I remember, growing up, that I originally wanted to be a veterinarian, because I love animals," Bogart said.

During her junior and senior years at Delone, Bogart worked at a horse farm and helped watch mares preparing to foal.  Seeing animals give birth shifted the way she thought about labor and delivery, Bogart said.

"It changed my outlook on how we look at birth," Bogart said.

After graduating from Delone in 2020, Bogart enlisted in the Army for two years and was stationed in California, where she met her husband, she said.  In 2022, after relocating to Kansas and while scrolling through TikTok one evening, she came across a birth photographer and doula whose work changed the direction of her life.

"That set me on the path to becoming a birth photographer and doula," Bogart said. "I have a strong relationship with my faith, and I truly believe I was led on this path for a reason."

With no prior photography background, Bogart taught herself the craft while also pursuing doula certification through Doulas of North America (DONA) International, a nonprofit that certifies birth and postpartum doulas. She later became certified as a birth photography through Birth Becomes You, an organization that provides education and community for birth photographers, Bogart said.

After the birth of her daughter in 2025, Bogart and her family moved back from Kansas to the Adams County area. She now serves clients primarily in Adams and York counties, while also traveling to surrounding areas, Bogart said.

Through Dove & Lioness Doula Services, Bogart offers doula support, childbirth education and several photography options, including birth photography, Fresh 48 sessions, postpartum sessions and lifestyle newborn sessions, Bogart said. Earlier this year, she also gifted a Fresh 48 session to Wellspan Gettysburg Hospital for the first baby boy and first baby girl born there in 2026, Bogart said.

"That is something I am hoping to do every year now and hopefully expand to other local hospitals," Bogart said.

Her doula work begins during pregnancy, when she helps clients think through their options and prepare for labor. Once a client reaches 37 weeks, she goes on call and remains available to attend the birth and immediate postpartum period.  Because of the intensity and intimacy of that work, she limits herself to about 12 clients a year, Bogart said.

"What I can do though is educate my clients by sharing evidence-based information so that they are informed and feel confident being their own voices," Bogart said.

Bogart said faith is central to her life and informs the way she approaches her work, though she serves clients from many different backgrounds.

"The important thing is that my clients resonate with me as a person, because that relationship is crucial to the birth experience," Bogart said. "If a potential client and I do not align, I will refer them to another birth photographer or doula in the area."

At its core, her work is about helping women feel respected, supported and confident during one of the most vulnerable and important experiences of their lives, Bogart said.

"my goal is to provide my clients with individualized support, where their choices are respected and they feel confident, empowered and cared for during the birthing experience, whether that is at a birthing center, at home, or in the hospital," Bogart said.

Bogart can be reached at dove.lionessdoula@gmail.com or 910-403-9792.

More information about her services is available at https://www.dovelionessdoula.com

Readers may contact Liz Caples at ecaples@gettysburgtimes.com.