Photographer Shannon Maltbie-Davis is an Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the series ‘Miscarriage’. To see Shannon’s body of work, click on any photograph.

The images created for the Miscarriage Series are based on my personal experience with miscarriage. Through the production of conceptual imagery, I look back on my journey to parenthood, open my heart and mind to my past struggles with infertility, and use the photographic process to heal myself. By transferring my pent-up emotional trauma to my digital compositions, I visually communicate my thoughts and feelings with the viewer. The release of my inner turmoil permits me to shed my shame, confront my feelings of inadequacy and grief, and acknowledge all my beloved children.

The images within the series utilize conceptual subject matter that is illustrated with representational objects. DNA balls serve as the equivalent of an embryo; thistles take on the damaging properties of my immune system and uterus; fake blood and clots stand in as fetal tissue, and the rosary expresses my Catholic faith. In addition to subject matter, the use of red color gels, on the subject or in the background, ties the series of photographs together.

My completed artwork visually describes my experiences associated with the topic of miscarriage by focusing on the feelings of betrayal by my own body, the death of an embryo, and the loss of a dream.

Shannon Maltbie-Davis is a visual artist based in Basehor, Kansas. She received a BFA in Graphic Design and an MFA in Visual Communications from Kansas State University. She has worked as a graphic designer at The Coleman Company, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Friends University, and Communications Program Director at Friends University. 

After leaving the workforce to raise her two sons, she returned to her love of art by earning a BFA in Design with a Concentration in Photography at the University of Kansas. As a photographer, Shannon’s practice encompasses a wide range of work including images of her children and surroundings, experimental self-portraiture, and expanded documentary art that reflects her experiences with auto-immune issues.  

Her self-portraits skillfully blend the creative process with the healing properties of meditation. By merging intense self-examination with conceptual imagery, she produces fine art photography that visually describes her thoughts and feelings. Purposefully, Shannon shares these raw and candid views of her mind, body, and soul with the audience to connect with and help others who face similar struggles in their lives.

All images and text © Shannon Maltbie-Davis