The other day, in Bangkok, a young woman gave birth to a healthy baby girl on a busy Bangkok street. Just happened to be there, with my old iPhone, and asked for permission to document the rather unique event. Here’s the footage. Don’t expect a horror movie. Giving birth couldn’t look more natural. It’s absolutely not NSFW.

Mother and baby girl are fine, but don’t ask how a more developed society would deal with a woman in such a delicate situation. Fact is, helped by volunteers, without any sign of labor pains, giving birth there along the busy road looked like the most normal thing in the world. In the shade of a tree. Right beside a little Buddhist shrine. With traffic passing by and people eager to assist.

Also, it’s not too uncommon in Bangkok for pregnant women to deliver too early — and be it in a taxi. Happens again and again that police and taxi drivers help with impromptu action and the babies are born safely and healthy.

People obviously know to help in Thailand. The mother seemed relaxed and bystanders cheered when the baby girl made her first freedom cry. It was an in no way degrading situation. On the contrary. By giving life in plain view the young mother looked at ease and very dignified.

The moral of the story:

Never leave home without the even most basic gear.

Who knows what might happen around the next corner.

And aging hardware can do. Just don’t mind image quality too much, not to mention audio.

Photography is not so much about specs. It’s about the uniqueness of each and every moment.

(You can also watch the video on YouTube.)