The Family Connection

Introducing the element of the father changes the dinamics of the set-up . Mum and  Dad and the new baby. It should be a scene of unity and bonding, the happy family photograph, but the body language shows a diffferent story. The dad  envelopes the baby in his arms in a warm embrace, unconciously making body cotact with as much of his body as he can. He engages the baby with his gaze as he lovingly feeds him. Themother on the other hand turns away.disinterested.She is not part of this scene, this feeling of togetherness.
I do think these photographs taken in this normal domestic setting would make it easier for women to relate them. They have agreater impact than those taken in the studio due to the fact that they are less sensational. It could be anyones home and circumstances.

Rejecting Images

In the first image  there is a triangular shape leading us from the baby to the Mother.The mother slumps forward with her shoulders facing the window, uninterested in the baby. The baby however, is facing towards the mother aware of her presence. The mother could easily have put the baby into the cot at the side of her, but prefers the distance created by the bed.

"Multiple studies of developmental disturbances in children of depressed mothers show there is a reason for concern as they show elevated rates of behavioural, emotional, attentional and interpersonal disturbances".

"An emotionally and physically responsive mother is drawn to her child and the reciprocal pleasure and positive feedback that is received".

Closer to Realism

I have taken this next series of photographs in the mothers house. The baby had been sick on the bedclothes through the night and so the bed remains unmade.There are lots of bits and bobs on the floor of the bedroom that haven't been tidied away. The house was a small terrace house in Lincoln that faced directly onto the street.All the windows in the house had net curtains to add a bit of privacy.This obviously caused a few problems with lack of available light, especially as it was a very overcrowded day anyway. I used fill-in flash bounced off the ceiling to give as even and natural light as possible.
In this series of photographs I was trying to show the gulf between the baby and the mother.
This particular image shows the baby squeezed into the bottom corner of the photograph in its cot, the mother on the bed, facing away, untouching. Near yet far.
This series of photographs seems to have more impact due to the more realistic environment.