Becoming a parent is arguably the biggest responsibility one can bestow upon themselves. The least we can do in return is thank the folks that brought us up. Enter Lithuanian photographer Vaida Razmislavičė. To express her gratitude for everything they’ve done, Vaida has dedicated an entire series just for motherhood.
Becoming A Mother is a photo series that aim to show how getting pregnant and giving birth changes a woman.
Vaida photographed 33 women, before and after they delivered their firstborn, and really focused on their eyes.
“For this photo idea, I chose a very simple format, as if I was taking passport photos,” she wrote. “I wanted to highlight my model’s gaze, taking away everything that would interfere with it (i.e. the belly).”
“I came up with the idea for this project when meeting people who thought of a newborn as some sort of obstacle to the parents,” the photographer said. “I wanted to show that it’s possible to continue living in harmony even after having a baby.” Vaida knew this from her own experience as she managed to get a Master’s degree while raising two kids.
Vaida said it was really interesting seeing all of the little details that changed in just a few months. “In a way, with these beautiful photos, I ended up healing myself. Looking directly into these women’s eyes, I relived giving birth to my first son. All of the traumas and fears that I locked somewhere inside myself came back, only to vanish in the process. I realized the journey I’ve been on as a mother. The fruits that I’m reaping today now that my boys are almost all grown up.”
“I took my time before making this project public,” she added. “I would turn on these photos every day, however, it felt like it wasn’t the right time. It was as if the series was waiting for its own birth. I had to stop criticizing myself over it. This period was a lot like the time when you’re waiting for someone to be born. And it was over the same way, too: you can’t control it, you just have to let go and believe that it will happen when it needs to.”
Vaida is very grateful to all of the participants. Especially for their patience. The 33 women that stood in front of her camera gave birth to 36 children, including three pairs of twins. In total, 20 boys and 16 girls. Some of them have already celebrated their first birthday.