Yes, the twins on the front of my website are 4 months!! They have developed into their own look and personality, and still adorable. Asher was the smallest when he was born…clearly he has surpassed his sister! Nate & Heather…you guys are amazing parents…I enjoy watching you juggle everything (everyone…literally) At their newborn session, we smooshed them into a bread bowl (in my baby gallery still)…but we decided we couldn’t do that again – too big, but maybe when they’re sitting, they can fit one at a time..so check back in about 2-3 months for that photo comparison! Oh – the “foot in mouth” shot…this must be a twin thing…but they are always sucking each others hand or foot if it’s nearby…glad I caught one! Here are a few favorites from this morning.

**shot #4 was all natural light..no external lighting…just a window to my right.

Thank you to those photographers who signed up for our Whispers meetings over the weekend, but I am hoping to get more. I am posting this on my blog because this it really is the most important time that I spend with families and my camera. At the same time I started my photography business, I also began volunteering for families in the the Michigan area who needed bereavement photography.

With permission from my friends Matt & Lydia, I share their story which inspired this program…

About four years ago, our friends moved to Toronto. Lydia was due to have her baby soon after they moved there. We were very excited to get the phone call telling us that they had baby Finn. They said he was healthy, but they just needed to clear out his airway a bit. Then we got a call saying to pray, because it was something more serious, he was having seizures. There were so many people involved in the phone calling, because of the situation, so the next phone call we received, was telling us that baby Finn was stable, and Matt & Lydia were waiting for some test results. At this point we were debating if we should drive out there or not. and within 5 minutes of that call, we received another call saying that baby Finn was not going to make it. Matt & Lydia lost Finn within 48 hours of his birth.

This was a life changing experience for me…when Lydia returned to Grand Rapids, she had taken so many rolls of film of baby Finn. I realized how invaluable and important those photos were to them. To help them remember, value, grieve, and share Finn. They were so valuable to all of us, we gathered on what would have been his one year birthday, to hear, share, and look at his photos. Yes, it was sad, but also freeing to grieve, and remember, Finn deserves it…he was and still is God’s child. A life to be valued.

The hospital calls us to photograph babies who are as little as 20 weeks gestation to babies who are in the NICU, or babies who have past away just before their due date, or shortly after birth. This is not an easy….

Do I cry? Almost in every session, or on the ride home. No matter how many I’ve done, it does not make it any easier to watch a parent lose their child. The second session I ever photographed, I got stuck in the corner on the opposite site from where the door was because there were so many family members in the room. I was the there when the mother took her baby off life support and watched her scream as her baby died in her arms. I watched her plead with God, why?

I don’t know those answers, but I do know that God has planned every life….and every life is created with purpose. This is why I started Whispers….to share in each parents journey.. to validate that their child’s life is valuable and worthy of remembering.

Please if you have a DSLR camera….we need your help. Butterworth L & D has 8,000 births a year, 360 of those are losses, and the NICU has about 50 losses a year. We don’t photograph all of those, probably about half. This program has been suspended since November because we didn’t have enough photographers to cover the need that this hospital was asking us for.

We have 2 information meetings planned for Friday, February 8th from 3:30-5p and Monday, February 11th from 7-8:30pm. There is no obligation to join…just come and listen to the details of the program, experiences, and the bereavement director at Spectrum. To actually join, you have to become a Spectrum volunteer, and agree to be on call one day a month, and volunteer once every 6 months. The photographers that have been helping the past year and a half are so valuable to our program, and I so appreciate each and every one of you.

If you have questions about any of this, please email or call me. I wanted to included a slideshow for you. It is a family that called me that was would be delivering their baby, that because of many anomalies, would not live more than a few hours after birth, that was if she even survived the delivery. They weren’t even monitoring the baby during labor, so no one know if this little girl would be alive when she delivered. None the less, mom wanted pictures of her baby when she was put on her chest, so I was there for the delivery. MIraclulously, she was born alive and her parents were able to spend hours with her. You will see in these photos the joy and love that these parents have for this little girl admist the grief that was to come. That is beautiful, these moments for them to remember. This is why you need to volunteer….

**CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW** ~this song has impacted many of our families and photographers, it’s “Held” by Natalie Grant.

You may read a post on Jen Kroll’s blog as well, sharing her experience.

Here is the link to the whispers website for more information. **click here**

Below are families that have lost their babies…

Some of you have waiting for this announcement quite patiently, others are hearing about this for the first time. Many of you have emailed me questions and/or are looking for instruction on how to use the amazing camera that you have. I would love to share my knowledge with you. It doesn’t matter if you shoot Nikon or Cannon….and use PC or a Mac. Here are some topics we will cover : Understanding your camera, lens differences, shooting correctly, photoshop technique, and I will instruct and allow you to shoot a newborn baby (hopefully 2 weeks and under) and an older child or a bride for practice and to add your portfolio. These sessions will also provide the photos I will use for the Photoshop training. I will also give you a packet of everything we talk about and a CD of a few free Photoshop actions that I use! This will be a fun informal day and a half of learning through conversation and instruction. The workshop will take place at our studio at 401 Hall SW in Grand Rapids, MI. We will begin on Friday from 5:30 -9pm and continue on Saturday from 9am to 6pm…or maybe a little longer if desired! Drinks & snacks will be provided on Friday evening and Saturday will include lunch and snacks as well. The cost of this workshop is $150 **I will need to have a minimum of 5 attendees, I have 4 already. You may register by emailing me your info and I will send you a paypal bill or if you would like to send a check, please contact me. Please bring your camera and any other lenses or equipment that you have, a laptop or imac (they’re pretty portable) if you have one! Thanks so much. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me!

**this is open to anyone**

Josh said he wanted some “moody” pictures…I was trying to think of a place like that would also have room for variety. We started out in the snow and then headed to the B.O.B. downtown. While we were there…it was totally empty, except for everyone cleaning the place, so we had it to ourselves..they even invited us up to the new modern nightclub on the 4th floor *Eve* that isn’t even open yet…it was beautiful. You’ll see the one in the white tunnel..that’s the entry to the nightclub. Here are a few favorites and their **slideshow**