Karen Wiltshire qualifies with The Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers

Karen submitted her panel and was recently awarded a Fellowship qualification by our fantastic team of qualified judges at our London Photo Convention FSWPP

Statement of Intent

Dear Judges,

Thank you for the opportunity to offer you a glimpse into my world and the transformative journey that has shaped the collection of images I present today.

My name is Karen, and for the past 15 years, I have been a newborn and children’s photographer based in Poole, Dorset. I work from the intimate setting of my home studio, dedicated to capturing precious and fleeting moments for families.

The black and white images before you are the result of my personal cancer journey, which began in late 2019. One session—a father and daughter photographed on the same day I underwent a biopsy—is etched in my memory. That moment of creative focus was a lifeline amidst a whirlwind of scans, treatments, and the eventual diagnosis of stage 3/4 cancer. The treatment was brutal, but five years on, it appears to have been successful.

What began as an emotional outlet gradually evolved into a body of work that speaks to the profound bond between parents and their newborns. For me, newborn photography is not just about capturing a perfectly posed baby adorned with props and accessories—it’s about honouring the deep, complex connection between parent and child.

The skin-to-skin setups featured in these images are symbolic. They reflect love, care, and protection, but they also celebrate the raw and unfiltered beauty of the human body—scars, stretch marks, and tattoos included—each mark telling a story of strength, sacrifice, and resilience.

The stories within these portraits reach beyond the visual.

One father, having survived multiple near-death experiences following a snowboarding accident, proudly cradled his newborn daughter. Another, after enduring leukaemia and receiving a life-saving stem cell transplant, was told he would never father a child—yet now holds his miracle son. The date of his transplant is tattooed on his arm, a powerful reminder of his journey and the life he fought so hard to create.

One mother, having undergone a partial mastectomy and aggressive chemotherapy for breast cancer, defied the odds and naturally gave birth to three children.
Another mother, despite her heartfelt desire, was unable to breastfeed her baby—a task that often feels so natural until it suddenly isn’t. Her portrait reflects a truth often left unspoken: that the strength of the parent-child bond is defined not by method, but by love.

Included in this panel is the image of a mother holding her baby, born prematurely at just 32 weeks. The tiny infant lies against her chest, embodying resilience and the fierce determination shared by mother and child in those earliest, most fragile days.

Then there is the story of a mother who once hated her body for the stretch marks left behind by pregnancy. Her portrait—tenderly holding her baby, proudly revealing the marks etched on her skin—honours the journey her body endured and reframes those marks not as flaws, but as badges of love and sacrifice.

Another mother, after a C-section, struggled with feelings of inadequacy, believing she had failed for not giving birth naturally. Her image, cradling her newborn with her caesarean scar visible, speaks to her strength and serves as a reminder that motherhood is not defined by the mode of delivery, but by the love and care that follow.

And finally, the most heart-wrenching story of all: a couple who suffered the loss of a full-term baby. The emotional intensity captured in a subsequent session with their new baby boy stands as a powerful testament to their courage, grief, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit.

At the heart of this panel is the honest portrayal of the parent-child relationship. Through intentional lighting, thoughtful posing, and the conscious use of black and white over colour, I strive to create images that are raw, real, and deeply intimate.

These photographs are more than portraits. They are stories of triumph and vulnerability, of loss and healing, of love and life. I hope that, through them, you feel the depth of emotion and connection that each family brought to my studio.

Thank you again for the opportunity to share this very personal journey with you.

Warm regards,
Karen

Learn about our photography qualifications.