The B&H Photography Podcast Celebrates Mother's Day

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Although we do not ever want to imply that conversations with great women photographers should only be reserved for Mother’s Day, we have recorded a few episodes on subjects dealing specifically with motherhood and with photographers whose work is informed by the fact that they are mothers. Below are a handful of episodes of the B&H Photography Podcast that celebrate moms and discuss the challenges of raising kids while being a working photographer.

Above photograph: Elinor Carucci on the B&H Photography Podcast © John Harris

1. Elinor Carucci—A Hurricane in Its Perfect Power

In 2013, photographer Elinor Carucci published a book titled Mother. Like her other photography books, it is an intimate and autobiographical study of her family life, in this case focusing on her role as mother to two young children. We welcomed Carucci to our studio, in 2018, for an enchanting conversation about her photography techniques and the role photography plays in her family. The title of this episode is borrowed from Maya Angelou’s description of her mother from “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

2. That Life and Photography Balance

While this episode covers a lot of ground and welcomes several photographers for whom life “interrupted” their photo practice, of particular interest is our conversation with Sofia Aldinio and Colin Boyd, of AfueraVida.com, who have incorporated their children into their photo life, including an epic road trip from Maine to Argentina, as they create family adventure content.

3. Milk Factory

For Mother’s Day 2019, we recorded a special episode with artist Corinne Botz, guest-hosted by Liz Groeschen, who at the time was a new mother herself, working at B&H. The episode concentrated on Botz’s series, “Milk Factory,” which she defines as “an unconventional portrait of motherhood.” Like much of her work, this project examines details of the spaces we occupy, and specifically “lactation rooms.” A project born from her own experiences pumping breast milk while at work, using medium format images, she invites the viewer to enter these rooms and gain an understanding of what they might signify to the mothers themselves and, of course, to ask how we prioritize space for the needs of mothers and, in turn, healthy families.

4. Conflict and Compromise

For this very animated episode, we welcomed photojournalists Marvi Lacar and Ben Lowy, whose photography work has taken them both into very dangerous situations, including riots, war, and swimming with sharks. They are also a married couple with two young children, and we invited them to discuss their work in light of being parents. Specifically, Lacar spoke of being at home with two infants, being both mother and father and not photographing, while Lowy was taking risks in Iraq and Libya. Their humor and insight make this an all-time favorite episode.

5. Cig Harvey—Think, See, Make, Listen

While this is not a conversation that deals with motherhood specifically, the work of Cig Harvey is rooted in her home, her family, and her community. In fact, her daughter is a subject of several of her better-known images. In 2018, we welcomed Harvey and director of the Robert Mann Gallery, Caroline Wall, to discuss Harvey’s book and exhibition, You an Orchestra, You a Bomb. Throughout the episode, Harvey articulates her vision and process in an incredibly forthcoming manner and, with Wall, we discuss the role a trusted collaborator plays in the editing of a body of work and, ultimately, its exhibition and sale.

 

The B&H Photography Podcast has been producing weekly conversations on a wide range of photo topics since 2015. With more than two hundred episodes published, we have welcomed incredible photographers, editors, scientists and authors. Find us on Apple Podcasts, the B&H website and join the B&H Photography Podcast Facebook Group.

 

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