🌙 Unfinished (1 in 4) — Honoring the Quiet Stories of Loss

There are some stories that aren’t captured in soft wraps or tiny details, but they still belong here. They still matter. They are unfinished but deeply loved.

I created this image after going through a miscarriage of my own. A loss that reshaped how I see motherhood, love, and the quiet strength that so many women carry in silence. When I stood in front of this empty cradle with my camera, I wanted to hold space for all the babies who aren’t in their mothers’ arms yet are carried forever in their hearts. The empty cradle, the little shoes waiting below, the album open to a photograph that will never be, the falling petals...they tell the story so many families know but rarely speak aloud. 💔 1 in 4

One in four women will experience miscarriage or pregnancy loss. That number is heavy but behind every statistic is a heartbeat that stopped too soon, a name that may never have been spoken, and a love that never fades.

As a mother and photographer, I’ve met families who’ve walked this path quietly. Some had planned sessions that turned into remembrance portraits instead. Some simply wanted a way to acknowledge the life that changed theirs, even if it was only known for a short while.

This image, and others like it, are a way to say: your baby mattered.

🌸 A Space for Healing

In my work at New Joy Photography, I often capture new beginnings: sleepy newborns, fresh joy, the miracle of new life. But photography also gives us a way to express grief, remembrance, and love that doesn’t have words. Art can hold emotion when our hearts can’t.

Whether it’s an empty cradle, a single flower, or a memory box with tiny keepsakes these visual symbols allow families to grieve, honor, and remember in their own way. If you’ve experienced miscarriage or infant loss, please know that you’re not alone. Your story is valid, even if it feels invisible.

🕊️ For the Mothers Who Never Got to Hold Their Baby

This piece, “Unfinished (1 in 4)”, is for you - the mothers who carried life inside them and still carry that love each day. For the fathers who grieve quietly. For the families who wonder who their baby would have become. There is beauty even in the ache. There is still love in the silence. And though your arms may be empty, your heart still holds the story.

🌼 Closing Thoughts

October is recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, but this remembrance isn’t confined to a single day or month. It’s a lifelong connection that deserves tenderness, compassion, and light.

If you’ve experienced loss, I see you. Your baby’s life — however brief — will always matter.

Dedicated to every parent who loves a child they can’t hold. You are not alone.