Female Photographer Her Photographed Her Mother and Baby
There are few things in life that have a bigger touch on than becoming a parent. Maternity, in item, changes a woman in profound means—not merely physically, just emotionally, also. Photographer and mother Vaida Markeviciute-Razmislavice noticed her own transformation before childbirth and after her son was born. She explores the thought on a larger scale through her project Becoming Mother, in which she documented 33 women at these two critical times in their lives.
Markeviciute-Razmislavice focuses on the eyes as a pathway to the moms' thoughts and feelings. To ensure that this facial feature is the centerpiece of the composition, she opted for a uncomplicated backdrop (akin to passport photos) and shot their portraits from in a higher place the shoulders. "I wanted to highlight women's gaze," she tells My Mod Met, "taking away everything that would interfere with information technology (i.e. the belly)." The results are subtle side-by-side images in which the details of each woman's motherhood experience often lies hidden. It'southward a fact that Markeviciute-Razmislavice relishes about the project. "Behind every portrait," she explains, "there is a woman's story, her unique journey, her transformation."
We spoke to Markeviciute-Razmislavice about her Condign Mother project, including what went on behind the scenes. Curlicue down for our exclusive interview.
What inspired the Condign Female parent projection?
Throughout my adult life, I take met many women who saw motherhood every bit an obstruction to reaching something "greater," as if it stopped them from something. However, I accept likewise met living evidence that it is up to yous only, how your life will alter. Motherhood can become a jail, just information technology also can free you from old concepts and attitudes that no longer serve you by transforming yous into this wise woman who knows and sees more than ever before.
I have noticed (and witnessed) many times how the gaze of a woman changes when she becomes a female parent. This only confirms what tremendous transformation motherhood is.
In fact, I have noticed that our gaze changes after whatever potent feel throughout our lives. I found information technology very interesting to explore motherhood in this light.
How did yous find women to photograph?
I posted an invitation and briefly introduced the Becoming Female parent project on my Facebook folio. The same week, several Lithuanian web portals shared a short commodity about the Condign Mother project, and that's how I and the mothershoped-for found each other. Some women came because their husband, mother, or friend shared my invitation, and encouraged them to participate. There were more than 100 candidates; however, I had to close registration as me and my family decided to become away for six months. From the lucky candidates, some didn't make information technology until the photoshoot—they gave nascency before we started.
When it comes to "choosing" the candidates, in that location was no selection, however in that location were three conditions raised: ane, to be pregnant with the beginning-born; two, to participate in the second photoshoot within the first 3 months subsequently the baby (or babies) were born; and three, allow unlimited publication of the 2 portraits.
What was the process for capturing their portrait?
For this project, I chose a very simple format, equally if I was taking passport photos. I wanted to highlight women'south gaze, taking away everything that would interfere with it (i.e. the belly). We organized photoshoot in a very private manner—ane or two brand-up artists and my friend helping with the organizational matters in 1 corner of the spacious studio, and me and the model on the other, is non more 2 models in the room at the same time. For the 2d shoot, we specifically looked for a studio attainable with strollers to allow women to come with the babies. Unfortunately, a different studio meant different lighting, which can be seen in the later portraits. I could have never thought that this would spark acrimony and negativity in people. However, thanks to this, Condign Mother got fifty-fifty more attention.
(continued) During the shooting, I asked women one question just: what motherhood meant to them. During the first shoot, to all the mothers-to-exist, maternity was all theory, imagining of how it will exist based on what they read and heard from other women, cyberspace, books, and media. Meanwhile, during the 2nd photoshoot, most of them couldn't assist grinning—they openly shared well-nigh the new experience they were having, which they couldn't l take imagined. Women talked virtually the new challenges and this inner power they discovered, that no matter how impossible it may expect at outset, yous just do it, sometimes fifty-fifty non realizing it was possible at first. New mothers shared how misleading some publicly available info tin can be, their strengthened intuition and connection they felt with their baby, and how their body helped them to navigate. In that location were then many dissimilar emotions flowing during the shoot. Some women flare-up into tears when asked what motherhood meant to them—and I let everything be and flow as is, waiting patiently until these tears stale out. The whole squad, including myself, could not help wondering how different these women looked when they entered the studio for the second portrait. At that place was something intangible, very subtle and at the same time, deep, and evident. It is indeed rather hard for me to depict the changes the whole team witnessed. Some people encounter them, some don't. Information technology is vaguely possible to describe in item the invisible backside the Becoming Female parent portraits.
At that place were days when we worked from sunset till dawn, and the whole squad was in an absolute abundance of energy from the things happening in the studio during the shoot. It was equally if the air was filled with vibrant light and pure love.
(continued) All of these details are subconscious in the portraits. And this also translates into a very important bulletin: at that place are things one cannot see with the naked middle, the simplest grade tin hide the complex content. Behind every portrait, at that place is a woman's story, her unique journey, her transformation.
I had a very defended team who helped me with everything there was. My friend made the schedules so that there were no chaos or hustle for every woman to have her space. Yet, we did take some funny situations during the second-portrait photoshoot, when unexpectedly, there were a bunch of new moms with babies in the studio at the same time (some came before, and some were a piffling late) and all of the babies started to weep at the same time. The team became nannies in less than a 2nd, and once more, we all had to wait for the babies (and moms) to calm downwardly to capture the portrait. At the fourth dimension of the shooting, some women held their babies in their artillery, some even breast-fed.
When the concluding woman become a mother, I breathed a sigh of relief and burst to tears. Only then did I realize how blessed these women and the Becoming Mother were—I couldn't accept imagined myself continuing the project if something bad had happened to whatsoever of the mothers or their babies. I feel so grateful for the support I got from my married man, my best friend, and a keen team of make-upward artists, studio owners, etc. who helped the Condign Mother to run across the lite of day.
What have you learned since creating this series—about maternity in general too every bit yourself?
I came to an fifty-fifty deeper realization that motherhood is one of the woman'south missions in life, fifty-fifty though lodge tends to increasingly depreciate it. This is, of course, based mostly on my personal experience. Information technology'due south so natural for a woman to "give nativity." No matter who you are and what lifestyle you cull, in a woman's life, giving birth can come in some many forms—giving birth to the ideas, projects. To me personally,Becoming Female parent is my "child," which I had carried for months, gave nativity to for long hours, and finally showed to anybody.
You met these women while meaning and then again after they gave nascence. What were some of the biggest changes you lot noticed?
Different gaze, completely different energy, maturity.
Motherhood, equally y'all say, is an experiential journey that involves a lot of inner discovery. How did y'all work to convey these circuitous emotions in your portraits?
The question "what does motherhood/being a mother mean to yous today?" and the common experience of being a woman and a female parent served as a span betwixt the 2 hearts. I always knew that to connect with another human being, you have to open up upwards and let become of any fright—then I did open completely and got the same in render. My experience became their inspiration, and theirs—my healing. I still find it hard to put all the feelings, and emotions that were flowing in the air during the shoots in words.
Becoming Mother sounds similar it was an emotional process for you, in that it made you relive giving birth to your first son. What practise you hope other mothers take abroad from this series?
When a woman becomes a mother, they connect with their natural function, the inner power, their intuition increases, they know things they never knew before. However, with modern values in the background, these awakened strengths fade, women get carried abroad past routine, they lose connexion with their power. The Becoming Mother portraits are similar a bridge between the two phases of a adult female's life, two different worlds. Let information technology serve as a reminder and a calling for women to remember their true nature, connect to their power, e'er mind to their heart, and ever trust their intuition, and knowledge behind it. Motherhood is a door to something sacred, something outside the commonness, and it is only us who tin can (re)open it.
What are y'all working on now? Anything exciting you tin tell us about?
Currently, I am "giving birth" to a project well-nigh the menstrual cycle. This is my way of inviting all girls and women to get to know the magic of a adult female's nature and observe the true connection we have with nature and cosmos. I wanted to touch the topic which is becoming increasingly popular these days—women are "awakening," they are learning to accept and dear themselves, and capeesh their true nature.
In fact, in that location are several projects on my list, including at least one that will involve men. There are so many topics I want to explore through the lens of my camera.
The Becoming Mother series helped me realize even meliorate that to me photography is my voice, and I am willing to say whatever comes through me, no matter how uncomfortable it may seem.
Next: More Motherhood Portraits
Source: https://mymodernmet.com/vaida-razmislavice-becoming-mother/