
#
Obviously, I’ve seen a lot of photos—and many that make me stop and catch my breath—during my years as Mothering‘s art director, but NYC photographer and writer Ali Smith‘s work stood out for me when I first saw it. Something about the way she manages to be there, in the moment, capturing the intimacy of the mother-child relationship with an honesty and a beauty that hurts. Real-life moms with their kids, doing real-life things—and looking simultaneously edgy/hip/fresh and TIMELESS. That ages-old momma love.
(Gotta say I also really like her eye for composition.)
So I’m thrilled that our January-February issue features a photo essay by Ali, “Caught in the Act of Mothering.” The photos are a part of a larger project, a book, Momma Love: How the Mother Half Lives, which Ali’s working on—and which I’m really eager to see.
You can click here for a beautifully moving video which will give you a sense of Ali’s work . You can also follow her blog here.
#
Photo above is of Hannah Bright and her daughter, Lizzie.









On the surface, the fact that I went to school for theater doesn’t seem related to my current role as art director at Mothering. Except that both involve something I really enjoy: creating illusion. Building sets, creating postures and identities and costumes and mood are not all that different from trying to evoke a sense of coziness and comfort when shooting a bowl of soup in the office.
So, even though I


. . . of the Mothering production team.






© 2009 Mothering Magazine