Remembering The Memory Keepers

Keepsake photography is so enormously important.  It is an important part of meeting our babies, an important part in saying farewell to our babies, and an important part in healing.

A photographer’s flash may be the very first light that breaks through the most impossibly dark days of our lives.

Stillbirthday desires to remember those who help us remember.

These are just some of the special photographers who have supported stillbirthday families.

I encourage you to spend time reading about them and visiting their websites, and to add comments to add any additional links so we reach them.  Hiring these photographers to capture your special moments supports them in a very practical way as they support those who are hurting.

To say thank you to our Memory Keepers, each photographer here is gifted with our Carly Marie Scholarship.  We will also help promote each photographer, by sharing their business information from time to time at the stillbirthday Facebook page.

{The words below are directly from stillbirthday families as they spoke with me about their Memory Keepers.  Parts of their conversations may have been edited out to preserve the privacy of those we wish to honor.  Many of these Memory Keepers are also bereaved themselves.}

Michelle Cramer

Michelle is the founder of On Angels Wings, where she provides free professional photography as well as outreaches into long-term support resources for families enduring loss.

Christina Newby

Christina Newby at Milestones Photography.  She is a NILMDTS photographer.  She did our photos with Aaron at the hospital.

Angie Thompson

Angie Thompson @ Photographic Memories by Angie.  Angie is an amazing photographer and an even more amazing friend. She donates her time and talent through nilmdts photographing and documenting the short memories of the lives of those babies gone too soon. When my son was born 12 years ago we did not have such ministries. No on talked about it. No one wanted to remember. No one, except me. Angie is one of very few how has given me permission to rejoice in my son’s short life, to recall his face, his kicks, the day he was born, and the day that he left me.

Simone Hanby

She is amazing and although not a birth photographer, she took photos at my last sons birth and they are sooooo fantastic. Her name is Simone Hanby from Imagine Creative Images.

Jamie Barton

Jamie Barton, of JamieB Photography. She is special to me because when we did our family photos for the first time a year after our loss, she helped us incorporate her and did some special pictures for me.  It was amazing to have someone so open & willing to do something so sacred & special.

Briana Snyder

Briana Snyder Photography – when we lost our Oliver she asked if we wanted pictures right away. She wanted to make sure we had photos and she made a sweet photo book for us and all without a single thought of charging us.

Danielle Mitchell

Danielle Mitchell Photography – she was starting a photography business and we wanted a special shoot with pictures Briana did (who was booked up) included with us so we had photos of us all together since our 2yr old never met him at the hospital.

Didi Miles

Didi Miles of Natural Approach Photography. Not only is she one of my closest friends and pseudo mom, she is an amazing photographer.
When I lost my baby she was a tremendous support.  And when my baby would have been due she had me come in for a photo shoot to help me feel better.  And when I got pregnant again and had my baby girl she was there to hold my hand and photograph the entire thing. She is so incredible.

Blair Banks

Blair of Blair Banks Photography is special for so many reasons… she started a project in his memory to teach pregnant mothers about kick counts… she took the last photographs that we have of our sweet Mason.

Joshua-James Newman

My special photographer is Joshua-James Newman of Joshua James Newman Designs.

Sarah Holst

Sarah Holst with Fresh Blend Media is amazing.  I would love to honor her somehow.

Steph (Lullaby Grace)

My amazing friend Steph who owns Lullaby Grace Photography she took photos of my belly before I had my angel Thomas. Been there through thick and thin and now is doing photos documenting my pregnancy with our rainbow baby.

Julie Matheson Dorta

Julie Matheson Dorta is my special photographer.  She did my maternity pictures when I was pregnant with Bryce and Keiran.  My boys were stillborn at 33 weeks.  When I got pregnant with my rainbow, she did my maternity shots again, for free because of all the heartache I had been through.  She has captured almost every stage of this first year, and will capture my wedding in October!

Christi Bernlohr

The photographer WE love is Christi Bernlohr of Bernlohr Photography. She took pictures of our son Grayson V and gave us such amazing memories. She never met us but she cried like one of us. She is amazing!

Rachel McCoy

Rachael McCoy photography.  The pictures will be cherished for a life time since they are all we will ever have of her.

Sara McConnell

Sara McConnell is a very special and respected photographer in Ottawa, Canada. She came to our Doula group and spoke to us about photographing babies who were stillborn by creating different photos for families to cherish. Sara described some of the things a parent might like to cherish and offered her services to our Doula group if we ever found ourselves supporting a family who are grieving for their baby.

Hallie Dedrick, Stephanie Randolph

Hallie Dedrick and Stephanie Randolph. I had a unexpected full term still birth in October 2011. My Doula (Hallie Dedrick) stayed by my side the entire time and was also there as a photographer. She captured the only pictures I will ever have of my baby boy. She took such professional quality photos in the poor lighting and the in the sad mood of my hospital room. Later she tried her best to edit the photos but never had training to do so. We talked to another local photographer (Stephanie Randolph) and she has worked for NILMDTS and was able to edit the photos for me. Now I can look at my photos and share my photos and it appears my baby has a clean completion and is peaceful. I don’t know what I would do without these ladies talents and generosity ♥

Marnie Pouget

A special photographer is Marnie Pouget. Marnie gave me a gift that I could never repay her for. Marnie, came to the hospital and this time took pictures of my now 8mos old son’s birth, from beginning to end. Including his double true knot. The significance of that picture alone is mind blowing.  Our Naomi had one true knot and that is why we lost her.  She has walked along our side, through both, capturing memories that I don’t ever want to lose!

Tiffney Smith

Tiffney Smith, of Tiffney Smith Photography! When we found out we were going to have an angel baby, Tiffney came to the hospital and took photos of us with our sweet Ava after she had passed. While she is a newborn photographer, Ava was her very first, and considering the circumstances, she did it with such care and love. Ava had some facial deformities and Tiffney never made us think she was anything than perfect. Her photos are what I will cherish for the rest of my life and I will forever be grateful.

Julie Wagner

Julie Wagner of Beautiful Beginnings.  It was an act of God that she came to the hospital and took amazing photos of our still born baby girl Catherine at 38 weeks. She was amazing and had never taken those kinds of photographs before.

Kassandra “Kassy” Beale

Kassandra Beale (Kassy), helps loss mommies by taking FREE photographs for them in remembrance of their child.

Elaine Zelker

Elaine Zelker was our photographer and friend at Judah’s birth. We were SO blessed to have her.

Kim Chandler

My special photographer is Kim Chandler, she now dedicates her free time between delivering pizzas to memorializing lost babies with pictures, including writing their names on flower petals.  She took my favorite pictures at our Remembrance Day event, and will be doing so again this year.  She is working incredibly hard to build her portfolio in order to become a NILTDTS photographer and I hope and pray she reaches her goal.

Patti Ramos

Patti Ramos, hands down, is amazing in all ways.

Connie Sorg

My friend and photographer Connie Sorg does amazing work and doesn’t charge a lot for it. She’s a sweetheart and a wonderful woman.

Leah Sandretzky

Leah Sandretzky- Heartbeat Photography. She is a VERY special photographer because after we lost one of our twins, born still, she drove an hour and a half out of her way to come to the NICU where our survivor was, to take family-newborn pictures for us. For FREE.  Not only that– but she also secretly took donations from friends and family to buy our family remembrance necklaces and bracelets for our lost daughter. When she received the jewelry, she went to the nearest beach, and took photos of the jewelry. AND she put out daughters name in CarlyMarie’s list to have her name wrote in the sand. When she sent the jewlery to me, she also included a cd mix of beautiful grieving songs. She is an extremely beautiful soul, so generous and amazing. I’ve wanted to do something, anything to pay her back for her generosity.

Bozena Olszanska

A very special photographer is Bozena Olszanska.  She took the ONLY photo of my sweet stillborn son, Oscar.  Not only did she come to the hospital, to take his photo, but she edits it every year on his birthday, with different backdrops…

Heather Brouillete

My friend runs hay.LO Photography. Her name is Heather Brouillete.  She is an amazing woman and photographer.  She stayed in the hospital with my husband and I while we were being induced with our angel.  She was with us day and night for 4 days.  She witnessed the birth and death of our son and captured it beautifully on film and video.

Chelsea Self

My special photographer is Chelsea Self from Self Reflexion – she took priceless photos of my two daughters during their very limited time here on this Earth. I’ll cherish all of the photos she took for the rest of my life – she’s amazing in every sense of the word.

Siri Salonen

Siri Salonen is a very special photographer!  When she heard of the birth of our daughter born without a heartbeat, Gabriella Rose, she offered the suggestion of placing something symbolic in our future photographs to represent our daughter. We chose a pink rose. Five years later, we still place a rose in professional photos of our family and of our now five living children.
Siri also edited pictures of our daughter that we took during and following her birth. Siri made us a beautiful hardcover book filled with meaningful quotations and pictures of our baby girl.  Siri is amazing, and has touched our lives in so many ways.

Ashley McConnell

Ashley is a one of the kindest people God ever created.  Words cannot do justice to her.

Rachel Bell

Rachel Bell edited the pictures, made a slideshow for her memorial, and shared her own personal story. She was a rock for us those first few months and someone we still speak with…

Steph Villa Davis

Steph Villa Davis is my dear friend who has a huge passion for what she does and deep heart for blessing families.  She’s in Los Angeles.

Cynthia Woodmansee

A photographer here in California volunteers with the organization that provides photos to parents of still born babies. Her name is Cynthia Woodmansee.

Ronice Sceski

Ronice Sceski from Ronice Kay Photography

Crystal Martin Farmer

My favorite very special photographer is Crystal Martin Farmer. She did amazing photos when we lost our son unexpectedly last year at 18 weeks gestation. She’s reserved in that she follows the lead of those she photographing. We have several of her pictures from our few moments with our son.

Angela Donaldson

My friend Angela Donaldson, in spite of many challenges, finds time to be a NILMDTS photographer.

Michelle Wortley

My friend Michelle Wortley is currently doing a photography course as she would like to be able to provide a photography service in her local hospital for anyone who loses a precious baby to stillbirth or neonatal loss.  The photos she took of Bailey were fantastic.  She is such a special friend who I met after losing my own son.  We now share a special bond.

Stillbirthday families remember our Memory Keepers