Maternity Mini Session on Film

Over the past 6 months, I’ve had a desire in my heart to create work with a focus on themes of motherhood, gender, identity and birth/rebirth. The idea for this session came from a few photos I had seen of a pregnant woman on a beach looking so effortless and comfortable in her own skin. Pregnancy is a time of transformation where the body is in constant change physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. There’s joy, anticipation, anxiety, personal growth, grief for one’s past self, the list goes on and on. It can be hard to make sense of it all.

Every person’s pregnancy is so different which is why I find it hard to write more specifically about this topic. Even during my own pregnancy, I felt like I couldn’t quite grasp everything that was happening to me on the inside and outside. I was only able to see real change months after my daughter was born. I’m 17 months postpartum as a write this and I’m still processing my birth, but also the rebirth of myself.

So with all of these thoughts in the back of my head, I spent a sunny morning at Lake Michigan with Hannah chatting about what she’s been up to during this current season of life. Hannah embodies the same woman I saw in those photographs…so effortless and comfortable in her own skin. I have loved the way shooting film slows me down as a photographer and allows me to keep my eyes open, trust the process, and be patient for the results.

–Anna

I’m in love with the perfect imperfections and detail of 35mm film. This image is a personal favorite for that reason.