Many women go through pregnancy taking many photos along the way — I sure did. Never in my life did I feel as beautiful as when I had life growing inside me. Photographer Alexa Garbarino sees that beauty as well and photographed over 100 women for her book Ripe: The Essence of the Pregnant Nude. Alexa shared why she wanted to document and celebrate pregnancy:
I only feature nude portraits in the book because the naked pregnant form is perfect and spectacular and I don’t want to spoil it by introducing clothing. When did the nipple become so scandalous? So much attention is paid to strategically, and awkwardly, covering up the breasts, it interrupts the natural flow and lovely lines of the body. That, to me, defeats the purpose of doing the nude.
Alexa's work is gorgeous, perfectly capturing women at the most beautiful time in their lives. Check out more of her photos …
This image is of one of Alexa's models, Kerri, who posed with her daughter Lydia at the Lincoln Memorial. On her experience posing for Alexa, Kerri shared, "Naked, pregnant, cold. The marble was freezing under my feet. The air was still, no wind, no sun — just me, my daughter, and Abe. Oh, yeah, and the C-SPAN news crew getting ready to come up the stairs. It was fun to flash my buns at the Washington Monument. This photo felt like raw power to me."
Alexa also shared, "I’ve photographed over 100 women for this series and I’m still amazed at how every woman’s shape shifts differently to grow another human being. It’s an amazing thing that a woman’s body can do. And while those nine months may feel like they’re going to go on forever, pregnancy is fleeting — I can’t imagine not wanting to document it."
Do these images inspire you to take more photos of yourself during pregnancy? What do you think of the photos?
Images courtesy of Alexa Garbarino
