Care comes first
I do not provide medical advice. Photography will never delay care or clinical decisions. Your hospital and care team remain in charge of the environment.
Remembrance photography · Singapore
A life, however brief,
deserves to be remembered.
Since 2008, I have offered sensitive remembrance and baby-loss photography in Singapore for families whose babies have died or are not expected to survive long after birth—creating a gentle, tangible record of a child who is loved and remembered.
For parents and families
This is your baby.
You remain in control.
I offer an intimate photography session and high-quality black-and-white photographs as a voluntary, complimentary service. I arrive as your invited guest, work respectfully alongside the hospital team and make room for whatever your family needs in the moment.
You may choose who is photographed, ask for a particular detail or keepsake to be included, take your own photographs, change your mind, pause or end the session at any time.
Before requesting a session
Care, consent
and clear boundaries.
Availability varies
I am an independent volunteer and cannot guarantee that I will be available. As much advance notice as possible gives us the best chance of making a plan.
Permission is essential
Please tell hospital staff that you have invited a photographer and confirm that photography is permitted. A parent or legal guardian must complete the consent, authorisation and waiver before the session.
Your images stay private
Your photographs are delivered through a private link. They will never be shown publicly, used for teaching or shared with a third party without separate, explicit permission.
Share only what is needed
In your first email, please send only basic timing and contact information. Do not send medical records or photographs. We can discuss relevant details securely once I respond.
No image can be guaranteed
Every baby, family and hospital setting is different. I will work with care and skill, but cannot promise particular poses, photographs or results.
This is not an emergency or clinical service. For urgent medical or emotional support, please speak with your hospital care team.
Questions parents often ask
What to expect
01What is remembrance photography?
Remembrance photography is a sensitive form of baby photography for families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss. It creates a tangible record of a baby who is loved and remembered, with photographs of the child, their family, small details and meaningful keepsakes.
02Who is this service for?
It is for families whose baby has died in utero, is expected to die at or soon after birth, or has died in early infancy. My general guideline is from 22 weeks’ gestation and up to six months after birth, but every situation is different and I will consider requests case by case.
03When should we get in touch?
As soon as you think you may want photographs. If you know before delivery that your baby has a life-limited condition, early contact gives us more time to make a flexible plan. Because these situations change quickly, timing will always be confirmed together.
04What happens during a session?
A session usually lasts 30–45 minutes and is led gently around your baby, your family and the hospital environment. I will guide you, work with as little disruption as possible and follow the directions of hospital staff. You may pause or stop at any time.
05Can photographs be made while our baby is on life support?
Yes, photographs may be made before or after life support is removed, according to your wishes and the guidance of your care team. If photographs are made beforehand, medical tubes and wires may be visible. This is entirely your decision; photography must never delay or influence clinical care.
06What will we receive?
The session is complimentary. You will receive carefully edited, high-resolution black-and-white photographs through a private link sent by email. Normal delivery is approximately two to four weeks. If photographs are needed for a funeral or memorial, you may request three to five images within one to two days, subject to availability.
07Why black and white?
Black and white gives the photographs a quiet, timeless quality and can gently soften natural discolouration. The focus remains on your baby, your connection and the love present in the room.
Stories, conversations and support
Further reading
Essential introductions
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Joan Leong · Personal essay
A Family’s Journey Through Remembrance Photography
The story of one family, the brief life of Baby Elkan, and the lasting place photographs can hold in a family’s memory.TEDx Pickering Street · Talk
Grieving through Remembering
My talk about making each baby visible, celebrating a life however brief, and giving families tangible memories.Viddsee · Profile film
Joan Leong on remembrance photography
A short film about the human purpose behind the work and the memories these portraits preserve.Independent media coverage
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The Straits Times · Feature
Portraits of little ones lost help parents cope
Families share how remembrance portraits helped them honour and hold on to their babies’ lives.Scope · Video profile
Moving through grief, one portrait at a time
A conversation about accompanying families through grief and the reminders held in photographs.CNA938 · Radio interview
Your Evening Escape with Joan Leong
A video conversation about volunteering, remembrance photography and preparing to speak about the work at TEDx.Longer reads and conversations
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TODAY / CNA · Essay
Photographing babies’ deaths and seeing life
My essay on celebrating lives that are too often hushed, and the support remembrance photographs can offer.Mothership · Commentary
I’m a S’porean photographer who takes photos of babies who die at birth
A first-person reflection on why these photographs matter and what more than a decade of volunteering has taught me.Collectively Speaking · Podcast
Family: Of Grief, Resilience & Transparency
A longer audio conversation about family, grief, resilience and speaking openly about loss.To enquire about a session
You do not need to have everything figured out.
When you write, please include:
- Your name and preferred contact number
- The hospital or location
- Whether your baby has been born and the likely timeframe
- Whether hospital staff are aware of your request
Please do not include medical records or sensitive photographs in this first message.
Consent, authorisation and waiver formTraining hospital teams
Helping care teams make meaningful photographs.
When a volunteer photographer cannot be there, nurses are often the people a family trusts to preserve these brief and important moments. I conduct practical workshops that help hospital teams approach remembrance photography with sensitivity, confidence and care.
Work gently
Read the room, communicate clearly and keep the family in control.
Use what is available
Make thoughtful photographs with simple equipment and existing light.
Notice what matters
Photograph connection, small details and keepsakes a family may treasure.