I have been sitting on this for a little while now, and today I finally get to share it.
I was invited to contribute as a guest author for Gallery Lane Magazine, and if you know me at all, you will know that this is not something I take lightly.
Gallery Lane is an Australian owned monthly digital magazine and educational space founded by Claire Darwish, dedicated to family, lifestyle, and portrait photographers around the world. It is built on a community over competition philosophy, which in an industry that can sometimes feel the opposite of that, genuinely means something. Each issue celebrates photographers from across the globe, their work, their stories, and the real people behind the camera.
Being asked to be part of that already felt like more than I expected. But this particular issue is even more special to me. This is Gallery Lane's 40th issue, and being chosen as a guest author for that milestone is something I will genuinely never forget.
The Article
The piece I wrote is called After Loss, Before Hope and it is the most honest thing I have ever shared publicly. It is about twenty years of infertility and pregnancy loss, and how that journey shaped not just who I am as a person, but who I became as a photographer. The photographs featured throughout the article were also taken by me, from my black and white series of the same name.
I wrote it with two hopes in mind. The first was that it might reach other photographers and gently encourage them to hold more space for the families sitting in front of their cameras, because so many of those families are carrying stories that never get spoken out loud. The second was that it might help break the silence and stigma that still surrounds infertility and pregnancy loss, because far too many people carry this grief alone and in quiet, and they should not have to.
Why I Am Sharing This Here
I want to be honest with you about why I am posting this on my own website, rather than just letting it live in the magazine.
Because I think some of the families who find their way to Emberwood Photography need to know this about me before they book.
Some of you have fought incredibly hard to hold the baby you are about to bring into my studio. Some of you have been through IVF, loss, traumatic pregnancies, or years of heartbreak that nobody around you fully understood. Some of you are still carrying fear even now, even with your baby safely in your arms.
I want you to know that when you walk through my door, you are not just another booking to me.
I understand, in a way that is deeply personal, what it means to long for a child. That understanding is in every session I photograph. It is why my sessions are slow, calm, and completely baby led. It is why there is no rush, no pressure, and no frustration when things do not go to plan. It is why I will never hurry a mother through a moment just because a baby is unsettled.
Every baby who enters my studio matters deeply to me. Not because of the images I will create, but because I know what some families go through just to arrive at that day.
This article tells that story in full. I hope it finds the people who need it.
A heartfelt thank you to Gallery Lane Magazine and Claire for not only showcasing my images but for creating a space where stories like this one are given room to be told. It is a publication that genuinely cares about the people behind the camera, and I hope this article reaches fellow photographers too. Because sometimes the most important thing we can do for our clients has nothing to do with camera settings or posing. It is simply knowing how to hold space for the humans in front of our lens.
You Are Not Alone
If anything in this article resonated with you, please know that you are not alone. Infertility and pregnancy loss can feel incredibly isolating, but support is available and your grief is valid no matter where you are in your journey.
PANDA National Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Helpline — 1300 726 306
Gidget Foundation Australia — 1300 851 758
Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636
Lifeline — 13 11 14
