It is interesting to observe the transformation of women after they become mothers. They become completely different – not only externally, but also internally.
So the photographer Vaida Markevicute-Razmislavice, noticing her own transformation, decided to explore this idea on a larger scale. She created a project called “Become a mother” in which she showed women before and after the birth of children.
In order to realize her plan, the woman posted a post on Facebook. In it, she briefly introduced the project. Immediately after that, articles appeared on Lithuanian portals. It didn’t take long! Very soon, future mothers and the photographer found each other.
There were over a hundred applicants. However, Vaida and her family went abroad for six months, and when they returned, many of the women had already given birth to children.
In order for a woman to become part of the project, several conditions had to be met:
The child, preparing to be born, was supposed to be the first-born for the mother.
The woman was obliged to give consent to the second photo session – within the first three months after the birth of the baby, as well as to the unlimited publication of any two portraits.
Vaida chose a very simple format for the project. She only photographed the tops of the women (up to the shoulders), as if she were taking passport photos. “I wanted to highlight the female look,” says Vaida, “removing everything that interfered with it (that is, the stomach).”
Filming took place confidentially. During the first photo session, there were no more than two models in the room. A friend and make-up artists helped the photographer with organizational issues.
For the second photo session, a studio with strollers was found. After all, women came there with babies in their arms. It was the brightest period of shooting. At that time, the team helped Vaida in everything. To prevent chaos and fuss, the photographer’s girlfriend made schedules.
There were also some funny moments. “Unexpectedly, in the studio,” Vaida shares her experiences, “there was a bunch of young mothers with babies (some came earlier, and some were late). And all the babies started crying at the same time. All members of the team immediately turned into nannies.
The photographer was very worried about each participant of the project, looking forward to happy news. And when the last woman finally became a mother, Vaida breathed a sigh of relief and began to cry.