Want to see photos with high impact ?
http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/home/

Those photos portrayed on the website made my eyes fill with tears within minutes - and no, I am no woman, I am usually the rather tough guy.

That is a sad... a really sad subject for any parent, which I am!

"Get over it...you can't bring him back!"
One of the comments marked "offensive" but it gets to the point... in any case, purely from a photographer's point of view, it's a very noble thing.

On the other hand, Hollywood (in a good sense of meaning) could build a whole movie around this single sentence:
"Please do not tell me that my baby is in a better place, how could anywhere be better than in my arms."

This made me cry...and tears are still running over my face.
I tried to make an application to participate as a photographer ..well I am not a professional ...but perhaps ....they will accept me anyway.

wow, that is pretty shocking. What really strikes me is how people who go through such hardship are still willing to make photographs out of it. It's impossible to make a judgment I guess. But in any case, it's something that It would never ever even cross my mind of doing if that happened to me, just the thought of it gives me the goose bumps. And as a photographer I'm sure I'd be able to undertake the task of photographing dead baby bodies, i guess I'm not strong enough to go through it.

thanks for posting the link Jacques, it's interesting to learn that things like these exist.

It has to do something with culture and the society as such... it made me wonder why this service is most asked for in the US and Russia, two countries with totally different mentality. I guess there must be something beyond national stereotypes, the label of "emotional people". Angela could let us know if she gets accepted. I have also applied and t came to my mind to ask around on relevant internet forums if such a service would be in demand in Belgium or Hungary. The problem is, I don't know where to ask. I'm pretty sure that n Hungary, if I ask in future parent's forums "would you like to have a CD with lovely portraits of your dead baby?", no matter how politely asked, they'd stone me to death...

Angela, Balazs, I understood they operate in the US and Canada only. They have photographers outside the US but I assume it is mostly where US citizens settle and have dedicated facilities (such as military bases or whatever)...not sure... But could be that some similar initiative exist in Europe or elsewhere - worth to check out. If not that could be some thing to set up.


Could be definitely... I'll add that the NILMDTS foundation is something that I think is very American - not essentially in its purpose but in the way it works and is managed.

that's right Balazs, that's exactly the feeling I would expect if I ever dared to ask somebody anywhere I guess (had I not known of this kind of service beforehand).

Do tell us please if you are accepted, you too Angela, and tell us about the experience.

I assume it came out as a step-by-step approach. I browsed some of the affiliate photographers that are in my area (Boston), Some of them work for free on hospital for other things as well, such as photography work for children that have cancer or other serious disease... And I know this sort of thing exist in France as well (though it is more individual initiatives AFAIK). I believe that this very specific concept came out as a result with photographers experiences and further approaches in hospitals - but not "from scratch".

We will see, but it's most likely that we end up accepted but without work and paying the compulsory 25 USD annual "donation" nonetheless.
I simply can't figure a way how such a service could be marketed - if not directly through recommendations by the hospital or hospice. I understand that it works like that n the US too, more or less.
In Europe, I can imagine it vice versa - "while you are busy at work, on your well-deserved holiday or adopting African babies, we take nice portraits about your dying parents in their senior home so that you'll have a souvenir of them".

My application has been approved today. We will see...

Hmm. I feel absolutely no sympathy with this project. It just seems too sentimental to me. I don't know why, maybe because I'm not a father. But my father is a pediatric and I saw many babies dying included two baby brothers of mine (one died short after his birth and one three months after). The best way to forget such pains is just to forget them, not to think about them. Maybe I'm totally wrong.

I agree, it's sentimental and controversial for those with a let's-get-over-it attitude (like you and me). But not everyone thinks like us and if this helps certain people to overcome their grief, why not?

yes, why not?
In the Netherlands, more and more people hire a photographer to make a reportage of the funural of a loved one. First time when i was present at a funural with a photographer i was a bit confused about it. Not sure if i found it disturbing or not.
But now i have seen how much comfort it can give to those that lost a loved one. It is not about what we (photographers) think of it, but what it can mean to the persons involved i guess...

Petra