A photographer named Ali Smith recently contacted me. She is currently working on book that features photographs of motherhood. Through words and photographs, she is telling the story of the mothers in her book, who they are, how they became mothers, how they see themselves as mothers, and how they fit into society now that they are a mothers.

She wrote to me because a colleague of hers recently pointed out to her that she would be missing a huge element if she did not include at least one mother who had become a mother through adoption and she was trying to find an adoptive mother who would be willing to be photographed with her child and share her story of how she became a mother via adoption.

While I agree that her book really won’t be complete with out a mother who became a mother through adoption, I don’t think it will be complete without a birthmother either! I suggested the idea of an adoptive mother and birthmother of the same child participating in an open adoption being photographed together, with their child of course, and sharing their story of how they each came to be mothers of the same child together. Now I think that would be absolutely beautiful and those photographs and the words that go along with them would speak volumes to the love of two mothers.

Yes, a birthmother is not “mothering” in the normal sense of the word, but she is still that child’s mother and yes, an adoptive mother didn’t become a mother in the “normal” way, but she is still that child’s mother and two mothers who are able to put aside their differences and participate in an open adoption for the love of that one child is truly a beautiful thing that deserves to be recognized and honored in a book on motherhood.

So, now Ms. Smith is in love with the idea of photographing both a birthmother and adoptive mother together with their child. So if you are in the New York area (she requested people in the New York area) and are willing to share your story and be photographed with your child’s adoptive mother or birthmother, whichever the case may be. You can contact Ms. Smith directly at her website.

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Photo Credit

Other Posts about Photos:
Photo Gifts
Digital Scrapbooking
Sending Photos to Your Child’s Birthmom