Wanamaker Photography Blog

Behind The Scenes Of A Photography Studio

Pregnancy and birth are miraculous journeys. This amazing time of life is full of mystery, anticipation, joy, hope, and wonder. Feeling the powerful energy of birth and new life, watching as a new family is born unto each other. These things humble and amaze. These are the things that we celebrate when a baby is born.But there is another aspect of pregnancy and birth. There is an unexpected place in this journey where some families may find themselves. When a baby dies, a world is turned upside down. There is confusion, sadness, fear, and uncertainty that cannot be explained. There is sorrow where there should have been joy. During this time, it might be impossible for families to know what they might need in order to heal in the future.

This excerpt was taken directly from the website for an incredible organization called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. This organization provides a helping hand and a healing heart for families overcome by the grief and pain of losing their newborn child. While the idea of photographing their baby may not immediately occur to them, offering a gentle, compassionate photography service done in a sensitive manner is the heart and soul of the organization.

 
Image Courtesy NowILayMeDownToSleep.Org

The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (NILMDTS) administers a network of nearly 3,000 volunteer professional photographers in the United States and eight International countries. At a family’s request, a NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer will go to a hospital or hospice location and conduct a sensitive and private portrait session. The portraits are then professionally retouched and presented to the families on an archival DVD or CD that can be used to print portraits of their cherished baby.

We at Wanamaker Photography may not be emotionally ready to accept such incredible responsibility, but we feel the need to contribute to this organization any way we can.

Image Courtesy NowILayMeDownToSleep.Org

We have decided to label May 2008 as “Mother’s Month” in recognition of all the moms that have children and for those who have suffered the loss of a child. During the entire month of May, for any Maternity, Newborn or Young Child portrait session booked, we will donate $50 to the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation, in your name, to help them continue this wonderful service.

To help give you a closer look at what the organization does and how it got started, we’ve edited a video (based on footage obtained from Photo Vision) that will take you on an emotion trip to the event that started it all. Sandy Puc, one of the founding members, recounts her first session with a little boy, named Maddox, who’s life was cut short before it even had a chance to really begin. Before you watch, I highly recommend that you keep a box of tissues close by!

If you are interested in more information on Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, please visit their website, with information for Photographers and Families alike, at http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org. If you are interested in more information about our sessions, please contact us directly at 1-866-832-4001.

I hope this video impacts you as much as it did me!

When you live in Pennsylvania, 9 times out of 10 you will wind up living in some type of Community. While not all communities are the same, some do go above and beyond to bring great events to their residents. Hemlock Farms is one of them. Located just off of Route 84 in Hawley, Hemlock Farms is a well established community with its own post office and fire department. Each year, the fire department goes around to designated houses with Santa and visits with the children. Santa even has a sack full of presents for the kids!

This year, we were invited to attend a holiday party at one of the homes while everyone waited for Santa to arrive. A few of the family’s friends joined in on the fun with their children as well! Santa (like the cable guy) gave everyone a 3-hour window in which he would arrive. To help pass the time, the children had all kinds of games to play and food to eat! During the wait, Loretta and I snapped off some shots of the children as they made Reindeer food, colored holiday books, decorated ornaments and played Pin The Buttons On The Snowman!

Here are a couple of the shots we liked:

After waiting the full three hours, Santa still hadn’t arrived. We later found out that the fire department had a fire call which diverted Santa’s route for a little while!

*Out of respect for the other parents who attended, we decided not to show their children. The children shown are friends of the family who have previously given us permission to do so.