2 Photograph a mother and baby
Get inspired by Jenny Lewis, whose recent project and book explores the special bond between a mother and her child
“I find the images defiant and beautiful… a celebration of what it means to be a mother”
There’s nothing more amazing then a new life coming into this world. The early and immediate bond between a mother and child is a special thing, and many photographers have captured these early days. Jenny Lewis went a step further and managed over the course of five years to embark on an emotionally charged project, photographing mothers with their babies at just one day old.
Jenny says her aim was to capture the extraordinary bonding, warmth and strength between the mother and infant. “In fact the whole range of amazing emotions felt at that time, as the mothering instinct kicks in. I find the collection of images defiant and beautiful, challenging the expected vision of those first twenty-four hours, a pure celebration of what it means to be a mother.”
Jenny was also keen to remove some of the negative connotations surrounding childbirth and show it as the wonderfully positive experience that it is.
Of course there are logistical factors to consider when undertaking a project like this. Jenny had to find willing participants, and gathered interest by flyering her local area of Hackney in London. She also wanted to take each portrait no later than 24 hours after birth in the subject’s home environment, so either the new mother and baby needed to have been discharged from hospital in time or she needed to have had a home birth.
Jenny’s book One Day Young includes 40 portraits from the 150 sessions she photographed over the years.
www.jennylewis.net
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* Don’t overcomplicate the lighting set-up. Position your model next to a large window, but look for distracting shadows across the face. * Always consider the background features. What do they say about your subject? Does your subject look completely comfortable in their environment? * One Day Young is available from Hoxton Mini Press ( www.hoxtonminipress.com).