I was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate. I have had a dream for a long time, about a project, photographing cleft babies and children but it always seemed too big to ever be possible of achieving and I didn’t really know where to begin. When my baby boy was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, I had an even stronger desire to make this dream a reality.

I would love to help others born with Clefts or parents of cleft affected children, through my photography and in turn, to raise Cleft Lip and Palate awareness. Being involved with the cleft services at the moment I have a good understanding of how this can also help with mental health in years to come and I am proud to be pioneering this.

If you google cleft lip and palate, you will find mostly clinical, sterile images which parents with a new cleft diagnosis, could find quite scary. 

I want new cleft parents and families to be able to see beautiful, professional photographs of cleft babies when you google cleft lip and/or palate. Cleft is one of the most common birth defects but you don’t see many professional portraits of cleft lip babies. I want to celebrate our babies and show the world how beautiful they are. I want them to have newborn shoots just like any other baby.

I want other mums out there to know it’s ok to be scared but when that baby is in your arms, all of those worries will disappear. 

I offer this for all ages from newborn babies to adults. The photoshoots will be available in a studio setting or on location, with or without family. 

Eventually, I would love to produce a book and exhibition of all of the portraits. I am proud to be an ambassador for Smile Train UK. I am keen use my skills to help, wether this is raising awareness, being in theatre during operations documenting new techniques, or recording the beautiful smiles as they change.