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BOOK REVIEWS
PORTRAITS OF PREGNANCY
Jennifer Loomis and Hugo Kugiya
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Portraits of Pregnancy: The Birth of a Mother is an amazing collection of portraits of more than fifty women - each entry shows a black-and-white photograph revealing the beauty of pregnancy, accompanied by text that details her journey to motherhood. The women in the photographs are nude or nearly nude, but the context is not overtly sexual; it is about celebrating pregnancy and motherhood. From celebrity moms to single moms to a lesbian couple who had two children through a sperm donation from a longtime gay friend, the woman portrayed come from an immense diversity of backgrounds. Difficult issues such as the challenge of being a single parent, dealing with repeated miscarriage, and the ominous press of post-partum depression are also covered. A glorious and ultimately positive portrayal of pregnancy, especially recommended as a wonderful baby shower gift for expectant moms.
—Midwest Book Review |
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Mother's Day Gift Idea!
Got a preggers mama on your Mother's Day gift list? Then check out this beautiful book of photography, Portraits of Pregnancy: The Birth of a Mother by award-winning photographer Jennifer Loomis and journalist Hugo Kugiya. The book features more than 50 women's portraits along with touching, intimate stories of their 9-month journey to becoming mothers. Forget about swollen ankles and morning sickness. The stunning shots in this book capture the radiance of pregnancy, and will make any mom to-be feel like she too is a goddess!
—Goodyblog |
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While pregnancy can cause everything from a glow to a greenish hue, local photographer Jennifer Loomis believes there’s beauty in every mom-to-be. In her first book, Portraits of Pregnancy: The Birth of a Mother, she showcases a wide range of women and their pregnancy stories. A pioneer of the pregnant nude niche, Loomis has made a career of helping pregnant women feel gorgeous—she’s exhibited her work in New York City, San Francisco and Seattle, and been featured on NPR and Good Morning America as well as in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. As someone who struggled with an eating disorder as a teen, Loomis knows how important it is for women to feel attractive, even when the body seems to have a mind of its own. Reported by longtime journalist Hugo Kugiya (a University of Washington grad and feature writer for The Seattle Times), the narratives accompanying the photos include those of first-time mothers, third-time mothers, single mothers, lesbian mothers, black mothers, white mothers, mothers spanning ages 16 to 54 and many other mothers (several from Seattle). They reveal previous miscarriages, gay sperm donors, relationships that grew stronger post-pregnancy and relationships that ended before the baby was born. And of course the photos tell their own stories as Loomis celebrates mothers in all their big-bellied glory.
—Brangien Davis, Seattle |
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