Wagga Wagga, New South Wales Nov 24, 2022 (Issuewire.com) - This book is for anyone who is a mother, has a mother, or knows a mother. It will take you into a look at family photography with the mother as the subject - a somewhat foreign notion when we consider family photography as mostly focused on the children. It will open the way for mothers to reconsider how they participate in photographs, and also for others to consider their participation in capturing the mothers around them. This is a thought-provoking read with a powerful message for anyone and everyone.
Author Justine Brentnall states that this book was the culmination of a year-long research. It started with her noticing a thought she kept having that circled every now and then over the years, and that inevitably kept coming back until she paid attention to it. "I would think to myself, or occasionally say to my family - 'there are no decent photos of me because I’m always the one taking them of you', or my favourite - 'if I died tomorrow you have no nice photos of me for the funeral book'."
The timing was right for Justine to begin exploring this issue on a much deeper level. She states 'once I started my research, I was blown away by the number of other mothers I found who were saying the same thing. My research identified that first, there is a trend of mothers from all age groups who acknowledge that there are hardly any photos of them because they are always the ones behind the camera, and that second, there were reasons as to why this is happening'. Justine's research looked at historical issues around women and culture, and personal mythology regarding photographs, to gain a deeper understanding of the issue and how the ramifications run deeper than what we would expect at face value. Notably though, through understanding the importance of why mothers should be in photos more often, or at least in similar proportion to the rest of the family, she was able to identify ways we can address this, with number one being to shine a light on the topic and get the conversation happening, hence the idea of creating the book.
The book features candid images of 5 different mothers intertwined in a fascinating read that teaches us to consider what we photograph on a daily basis in a whole new way.
Justine's book is entirely self-produced, and self-published through her sister brand Arty Crow Design Studio. It is available now at www.justinebrentnall.com.au.
Media Contact
Justine Brentnall contact@justinebrentnall.com.au http://www.justinebrentnall.com.au
