Angel baby family session
An angel baby Family session is a unique and touching tribute, a way of honoring a lost loved one through the quiet beauty of a silhouette photo, where love is made visible even in loss.
This family chose a powerful and subtle way to include their late daughter in a family portrait: through a silhouette drawing. In this unique form of remembrance, every family member is depicted in black. Mom, dad, and their beloved daughter, all shown as solid black silhouettes. The beauty of a silhouette is its quiet strength; you can barely tell who is missing, which is exactly what makes it so moving.
A silhouette allows you to see your loved one hand in hand with your family, not just carried in your heart, but visible to the world. It’s a gentle yet powerful visual that speaks volumes without saying a word.
This family worked with Dutch photographer Dasja Dijkstra of Das’ Knuss Fotografie, capturing their moment in the stunning Soesterduinen. Not located in the Netherlands? No problem. You can coordinate with Shadowed Memories to have your photos taken locally, and have your loved one’s silhouette or Shadow digitally drawn afterward.
In this blog, you’ll also find the deeply moving story of parents who carry their daughter in their hearts every day. If you’re interested in having a Shadow portrait created or have questions, feel free to reach out to Dasja at Shadowed Memories. Though we are based in the Netherlands, we work digitally and deliver portraits worldwide.
Warm regards,
Dasja
Angel baby family session
Silhouette portrait that gently includes your lost child, visible love, forever remembered.
Jolien shares her story:
After a smooth 40-week pregnancy, my water broke. “Let’s go,” I thought. Finally! I had been counting down the days, and the moment had arrived. But then, three days passed with no progress. Our daughter Juul* clearly wasn’t in a hurry. Now we understand why. She already knew what was coming.
The day of induction arrived, and we headed to the hospital with high hopes. At the last intersection before arriving, we finalized her name. Just a few more hours, and we could finally share it. That day passed uneventfully, and we told our parents it probably wouldn’t happen that night. But just after we said that, everything changed. Suddenly, a storm of contractions began. Thankfully, the epidural brought some relief. In just 1.5 hours, I went from 1 cm to full dilation. It was time.
Then, my body stopped cooperating. Things got serious. My oxygen levels dropped, there was no communication with the doctors, and Juul* was in distress too. Miraculously, I stabilized after about 45 minutes. We were rushed to the OR for an emergency C-section.
The surgery turned out to be far more complex than expected. Juul* was born on February 12, 2020. There was silence. She was alive, but had to be resuscitated immediately. In the middle of the night, a special ambulance from the Sophia Children’s Hospital was called. As soon as we could, we followed her to Rotterdam.
Jolien shares her story:
After a smooth 40-week pregnancy, my water broke. “Let’s go,” I thought. Finally! I had been counting down the days, and the moment had arrived. But then, three days passed with no progress. Our daughter Juul* clearly wasn’t in a hurry. Now we understand why. She already knew what was coming.
The day of induction arrived, and we headed to the hospital with high hopes. At the last intersection before arriving, we finalized her name. Just a few more hours, and we could finally share it. That day passed uneventfully, and we told our parents it probably wouldn’t happen that night. But just after we said that, everything changed. Suddenly, a storm of contractions began. Thankfully, the epidural brought some relief. In just 1.5 hours, I went from 1 cm to full dilation. It was time.
Then, my body stopped cooperating. Things got serious. My oxygen levels dropped, there was no communication with the doctors, and Juul* was in distress too. Miraculously, I stabilized after about 45 minutes. We were rushed to the OR for an emergency C-section.
The surgery turned out to be far more complex than expected. Juul* was born on February 12, 2020. There was silence. She was alive, but had to be resuscitated immediately. In the middle of the night, a special ambulance from the Sophia Children’s Hospital was called. As soon as we could, we followed her to Rotterdam.
Capture your complete family with a touching Angel baby family session.
We entered a world we never wanted to know. At first, no one knew what was wrong. “A rough start” no longer explained it, but even the doctors were unsure of what had happened. Juul* underwent cooling therapy, and after two days, it became clear that she wouldn’t be able to live a dignified life.
Final tests were done. On February 14th, Valentine’s Day, we had to let her go. Strangely, it was the most painful and also the most beautiful day we had with Juul*. One of the most beautiful days of our lives. We finally got to meet our girl without tubes and machines. We could hold her, care for her, feel her little body against ours. Her heart beating against our chest. Those hours were so special. At some point, it wasn’t okay anymore. But somehow, it was. Juul* had fought so hard to stay with us, and we had fought with her. But we also wanted her to have peace.
It’s surreal to go from a worry-free pregnancy, with no complications, to coming home to an empty house. Thankfully, Juul* came home with us. We had her embalmed so we could spend a special week together. Her farewell marked the beginning of our “second” life. A life filled with infinite love and warmth, but also immense grief and emptiness.
We already longed for a second child the moment Juul* was born. It’s such a gift to be parents. To care for Juul*—even if only in our hearts—meant so much. We wanted to experience that with a living child too. Over a year later, Juul* became a big sister to our son Ties. Our joy. Our bundle of love.
The story continues with love, hope, and remembrance…
This goes far beyond photography. What a masterpiece. Finally, visibly complete.
Still, the feeling of incompleteness grew. We are parents of two children, but you can’t tell when you see us walking down the street. But we feel it.
Then one day, I found Dasja’s Instagram page. The idea of a Shadow photo or silhouette touched me deeply, but it also felt daunting. A friend gave me the final push to contact Dasja. After some emails and phone calls, we met in Soest. A beautiful place, with a warm photographer who made it feel as if we were truly there with the four of us. Juul* was fully present. We’re not the kind of people who often book photo sessions. The only other time was when Juul* passed away. But Dasja has something special. It didn’t feel heavy. It was simply about capturing a beautiful moment. We came specifically for the silhouette. It doesn’t immediately show who is missing, and that gave me a sense of completeness.
Finally visible, what has always felt normal to us.
After the shoot came a few tense weeks. What would the result be like? Then the phone rang. “I have good news…! The first photos are ready.” We were at work and had to wait until the evening to open them. But our patience paid off. This goes far beyond photography. What a masterpiece. Finally, visibly complete. Stunning. And hard. Tears, because this is how it could have—or should have—been. It’s the closest we’ve come to the complete picture of our family. Finally visible, what we feel inside.
Dasja, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for creating our own Shadowed Memories. You do beautiful, loving work.
Still, the feeling of incompleteness grew. We are parents of two children, but you can’t tell when you see us walking down the street. But we feel it.
Then one day, I found Dasja’s Instagram page. The idea of a Shadow photo or silhouette touched me deeply, but it also felt daunting. A friend gave me the final push to contact Dasja. After some emails and phone calls, we met in Soest. A beautiful place, with a warm photographer who made it feel as if we were truly there with the four of us. Juul* was fully present. We’re not the kind of people who often book photo sessions. The only other time was when Juul* passed away. But Dasja has something special. It didn’t feel heavy. It was simply about capturing a beautiful moment. We came specifically for the silhouette. It doesn’t immediately show who is missing, and that gave me a sense of completeness.
Finally visible, what has always felt normal to us.
After the shoot came a few tense weeks. What would the result be like? Then the phone rang. “I have good news…! The first photos are ready.” We were at work and had to wait until the evening to open them. But our patience paid off. This goes far beyond photography. What a masterpiece. Finally, visibly complete. Stunning. And hard. Tears, because this is how it could have—or should have—been. It’s the closest we’ve come to the complete picture of our family. Finally visible, what we feel inside.
Dasja, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for creating our own Shadowed Memories. You do beautiful, loving work.