Sophie Harris-Taylor has called the series Milk.
Sophie Harris-Taylor is a British photographer who has presented a collection of beautiful breastfeeding images. I have never felt so connected to art in all of my life. The problem, for me anyway, was the fact that I didn't know what to expect when it came to breastfeeding because I had no reference point.
It is the very reason why I never considered it on my first baby (we ended up breastfeeding for two years in the end, but that is for another day). Sophie's breastfeeding portraits are a true depiction of a breastfeeding relationship between mother and child.
The breastfeeding portraits which you can see in full on the photographer's website are inclusive in nature. They show women of different nationalities and breasts of all shapes and sizes. Some photos feature breastfeeding aids such as nipple shields and instantly I felt validated and included as a mother who simply couldn't feed without them five years ago.
When breastfeeding is depicted in movies and magazines it is often a very soft and pure image of a woman discretely feeding her perfectly positioned baby. The reality, however, involves leaking breasts, bizarre positions and babies that are older than newborns. That is what makes breastfeeding beautiful. It's raw, it's real and it's not always easy.
The series of photographs by Sophie Harris-Taylor is called Milk and it has been inspired by her own breastfeeding journey. She wanted to capture the reality of a relationship that made her feel empowered in one moment and a huge sense of responsibility in the next.
When speaking about her own breastfeeding journey Sophie speaks quite bluntly about what the myriad of emotions that breastfeeding comes with, meant for her. She loves being part of the community and the intimacy it created between she and her baby but she also felt a little lost. This project was the very means to discovering her identity again after having a baby. Breastfeeding made her think differently about the world and this project really captures that transformative element.
This articles feature piece has been taken from Sophie Harris-Taylor's beautiful website.