A podcast brought Grant Palmer to Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. While commuting to work one day, he was listening Australian photographers talk about their work with bereavement photography. Intrigued, Grant looked up whether a similar organization existed in the United States and came across NILMDTS. He attended the NILMDTS information session at the ImagingUSA conference that year, but was still hesitant to jump in. A year (and one more Imaging info session) later, and Grant decided to start volunteering.

“Your timing is your timing,” Grant reflected. “You’ll know when it’s time.” 

Drawn to the flexibility of the role, Grant signed up to be a Digital Retouch Artist. As a DRA, Grant volunteers to gently retouch photos taken by others, whether that be Medical Staff, families, or volunteer photographers. He knew he had the skills to do the complicated editing that might be difficult for others, and could do it when it worked for him. “I don’t have to be at the hospital,” Grant said. “I can do all this other stuff - and I can do this work that other people can’t do, and I can do it on my couch!” He enjoys that each photo presents a unique challenge. It encourages him to try different approaches and learn new skills, saying, “It doesn’t let me get set in my habits when retouching.” 

Volunteering with NILMDTS is also work that align with Grant’s values. A long-time attendee of Burning Man, Grant tries to follow the Burning Man principles in his day-to-day life, one of which is gifting. “Gifting is one-sided,” Grant reflects. “I give something and expect nothing back; I get what I get out of the act of giving. I can do this [retouching] for people and they’ll never know who I am, but they’ll have the images… As a person, [volunteering with NILMDTS] grounds my gifting. This is part of what I do. This is me.” Grant honors the families he serves each year at Burning Man, folding an origami butterfly for each baby to include in the Burning Man Temple. It’s a practice he’s written about in the past for NILMDTS.

“NILMDTS is an underserved mission,” Grant continued. “I know everyone would like to serve everybody, and it’s not feasible. But here’s something I can volunteer with, and I can do it in odd hours if I need to. I can fundamentally impact people’s lives. We’re doing good stuff for people. It’s a moment that can’t be recreated… A wedding you can always restage, or engagement photos you can go to the park again. But these ones, after the photographer leaves, there is no more opportunity to take those photos again. It just doesn’t exist.” 

Since joining as a volunteer in 2018, Grant has helped edit those priceless moments for over 370 families. His impact goes beyond those who he personally edits, though. Grant has become one of our volunteer leaders, offering his expertise to those who need it. Many of our volunteers have joined a Zoom call looking for advice about how to retouch a photo and heard Grant’s Australian accent on the other end, patiently walking them through options. Grant takes pride in watching his fellow volunteers grow in their retouching knowledge. “It’s a force-multiplier thing,” Grant reflected. “They may or may not end up doing exactly what I do, but every one of them is now 10% better, and I’ll take it. They’re serving who they need to serve 10% better… NILMDTS has made me a better communicator about photography and retouching because there are so many people of different skill levels that come in. One of the principles I’ve always used for teaching is if I’m teaching, and you’re not getting it, that’s a ‘me’ problem. I haven’t found your language yet. We have so many people from various backgrounds - one volunteer is an engineer, and then some folks come in who didn’t pick up a camera until they were 50 or 60.” Regardless of their background, Grant is there to help. 

Over the years, Grant’s expanded his volunteer roles. He’s still an active DRA, but he additionally serves on the Volunteer Application Committee, helping to review potential volunteer’s submissions. On top of that, you can often find him at ImagingUSA, encouraging the volunteers who are in the same place he once stood - interested, but hesitant, about volunteering. “It’s not as scary as you think it is,” Grant says about starting to volunteer. “There is support. Photographers come in and say, ‘I don’t know if I can do it.’ Well, you’re in the room, so some part of you thinks you can do it. And it’s fun to see someone’s name that I talk to at Imaging pop up on the application list.” 

Thinking about the work he does, Grant reflected, “This photo is what somebody else’s forever is… Here are your images. Here’s your baby. Here are your memories.”  

Grant’s profound impact on the NILMDTS community, both families and volunteers, led the staff to select him as the 2024 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year. We are profoundly grateful that he is part of our mission. 

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a dedicated 501(c)(3) non-profit, offers families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss with complimentary remembrance portraits, capturing precious moments with their babies. Your generous donation can help us extend this heartfelt service to more families in need. Please consider supporting us here.