Photography News | Issue 66 | photographynews.co.uk
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us in hospital and take our pictures. We are absolutely thrilled with them and saved them until Christmas Eve to show very close friends and family. The impact you have is enormous and I don’t think it’s known just how important it is to have such special photos to support the grieving process. Thank you so much to every single person who organised this for us, from the midwife who had enough awareness to arrange it, to the person who posted out the memory stick. We appreciate
every moment and care taken. Love Leighton, Jo, and remembering our baby Henry”, Jo. Kev Cleaver, volunteer photographer and regional coordinator for the west Midlands said, “To theparents,webecome thehistorians of their baby’s short journey through life. We are, after all, storytellers.” Tessa Chapman, volunteer photographer and regional coordinator for theWest Country alongside Sarah Fitzgerald Jones said, “I couldn’t believe how well I coped on my first session and without a doubt it’s because you have your camera in your hand and a job to do. And you want to do that job to the best of your ability. I’ve never found working with the babies difficult but I’ve got much better at knowing how to be around the parents, so in that respect it has got easier.” Sally Slack, volunteer photographer in the south of England, shadowed another volunteer for her first session. “My second session was solo, and although I was incredibly nervous it was much less scary than I thought it would be. My main concern was doing a good job for the family whose baby I was photographing. I did have a bit of a meltdown afterwards on the phone to Cheryl, but she did a great job of reassuring me. Since then nerves haven’t really been an issue. Any emotions I feel are far outweighed by the emotions that the family are going through. It’s just great to be able to give back in some way.” Kate Henwood, volunteer photographer in West Sussex, said, “I went into the shoot with the knowledge that what I did in the next hour
would be what this family would hold onto as the life and memories of their daughter. I also went in as amum. The familywere lovely, they knew from their scans that the baby would probably not be born living, but she was, long enough to be baptised – as they had hoped. I truly believe I’m ‘supposed’ to be doing this role. I feel like I’ve ‘come home’ and found my niche.” The value of RMB’s work is undeniable. The parents take comfort fromthe images, and the volunteers find it incredibly rewarding, even life changing, for a small period of time out of their comfort zone, to be able to give to someone something of such profound value. To find out more about becoming a volunteer photographer or digital retoucher for RMB, please visit its Facebook page and click on Sign Up to be directed to information and the online application on the website. Or, email info@ remembermybaby.org.uk with any queries. RMB is a charity registered in England and Wales, and in Scotland, providing remembrance photography free of charge across the UK, including in Northern Ireland. RMB Is run entirely by volunteers and reliant upon donations. Visit these links tomake a donation. Find out more
The impact you have is enormous and I don’t think it’s known just how important it is
remembermybaby.org.uk/donate justgiving.com/remember-mybaby
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