The Last Time
I met Mama A in 2012 during a breastfeeding mini session with her Baby G. These two ladies were SWEET AS PIE and G reminded me of my own little babe, Norah.
Imagine my giddiness when I received an email from Mama A booking me for another mini session this year. I love any opportunity I get to photograph mothers, but when they are repeat clients, and when they are as genuine as this woman is, you get excited about it!
I received this email a few days after I delivered their images "My husband and I are dying over the pictures!!! Thank you so much. I love them. And I love how you captured G's smile that reflects her joy. And {she} hasn't asked to nurse since then so you may have truly captured the last time I'll ever breastfeed! Bittersweet."
You see, G is the youngest of many siblings, and the last baby Mama A plans to nurse. Little unexpected gifts such as this fill my heart.
Thank you for allowing me to photograph you during this time as a nursing mama, A. You are a joy.
The "Breastfeeding Is..." Project
Over the years I have photographed 250+ sessions of mothers breastfeeding their babies. Without prompt, they always tell me "I am so happy we are photographing this because we went through ___________ and this means so much to me to still/finally be nursing my baby now." Every single mother has her story.
I see far too often that society will then try to tell this mother what her breastfeeding relationship means. Not only what it means for the mother and baby, but what it means for her family, her community, or the individual speaking out. Like they have right to say what Breastfeeding Is for them. Whether they've been there or not. Yes, this experience, this choice we have to make as mothers "To breastfeed or not to breastfeed" is universal, but each and every experience is unique.
Inspired by this idea, I asked my fans and clients to fill in the blank.
"Breastfeeding Is ____"
The responses I got were overwhelming. There were so many ideas that echoed eachother, and others that spurred my heart in a deep way. I took to my drawing pad to come up with images that I thought could depict a few of these ideas and set out to look for the real life women who could fill the role.
The Breastfeeding Is Project is a photographic essay defining not what other aspects of parenting aren't, but what breastfeeding is. It has started with these few images, and I plan to add to the collection for the years to come. True to my style, the images are both lifestyle and fine art. In the real life thick of it, as well as pampered and posed.
Enjoy. Share. Remind yourself what breastfeeding is to you, or what it can be. Love your baby.