Photographer Christian Berthelot has decided to give the world a raw and riveting look into human race, showing us in our most vulnerable state: as we are when we are born.

“He was like a warrior who has just won his first battle, like an angel out of darkness,” Berthelot says of his own child’s birth. Overcome by the pure beauty of childbirth, the artist knew he needed to share what he saw with others, through the lens of his camera. And so he did.

Never mind your typical newborn baby photos of soundly sleeping bundles of joy, swaddled in a blanket; these gripping images capture babies just moments after they leave their mother’s womb.

Titled “Cesar,” this series of photos were all taken of babies within their first 3-18 seconds of life. Every photographed child was born via a Caesarean section, the image shot as soon as they were removed from the mother’s abdomen. Berthelot’s own child was born through a C-section and serves as the inspiration for this fascinating series.

Every mother who participated in Berthelot’s project received a photograph in return, that they will be able to cherish forever. As of now, 40 babies have been captured in one of his breathtaking photoshoots. These images are just a preview into Berthelot’s graphic yet beautifully enthralling “Cesar” collection.

What are your thoughts on these striking images?

Please SHARE these enchanting photos with everyone you know!

(Photo credit: Huffington Post)