Photographers Giving Back: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

NILMDTS Chaisson

It’s not uncommon for photographers to want to use their chosen profession as a vehicle to do good. There are a number of photography based charities out there and all in all, they’re in it for the right reasons.

Speaking of the right reasons, if you’re a parent, you will really appreciate Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS). It’s an organization that provides the free gift of professional portraiture to parents who are dealing with the loss of a baby.

While I’m fortunate to have three healthy children myself, my brother and his wife lost their third child right before birth. I vividly remember the pain and anguish his family went through and their desire to treat their daughter like any other member of the family who had passed.

I can only imagine that had a service like this been available, they would have jumped at the opportunity to remember their daughter with a portrait. It would have provided the opportunity for them to remember the beauty of their newborn daughter and not the struggles she (and they) felt.

Since NILMDTS was founded, over 11,000 volunteers have been part of the network. It reaches every state in the United States and has been or is present in 40 countries worldwide.

To learn more about NILMDTS, visit their site and consider working with them (September is recruit a photographer month). You’ll not only be comforted in the fact that you are truly giving back, but you’ll be providing a memory for a family to cherish forever.

Below are a few of the portraits that have been created in the past few years. I can’t imagine a better way to remember a beloved family member.

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K-Payne-Baby-Milo-w-Matilda

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R-Forthofer-Baby-Jonathan


About the author: Chris Armstrong started as a photographer nearly 30 years ago and has worked his way through film, television, advertising, and back to photography (this time as an agent). Chris has worked with legendary filmmakers (most notably Robert Altman); nearly all of the major production companies in L.A.; and numerous ad agencies (including Deutsch L.A., Publicis, and Wunderman).

All of this experience has given Chris a well-rounded (if not dysfunctional) view of the creative world which he’s more than happy to share with you. This article originally appeared on PhotoPolitic.


Image credits: Baby Barrett by Photographer Cliff Lawson, Baby Barrett by Photographer Cliff Lawson, Baby Maddux by Photographer Sandy Puc, Baby Milo with surviving sister Matilda by Photographer Katherine Payne, Baby Jonathan by Photographer Russ Forthofer

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