Before and After: A Lithuanian Photographer Shows How Motherhood Changes Women (34 photos)

Motherhood noticeably changes a woman's body. But there are also deeper changes, affecting her character and worldview. Are they reflected in her face, in her gaze? Lithuanian photographer Vaida Markeviciute addressed these questions in her photo project, "Becoming a Mother." In it, she collected photographs of women before and after childbirth. Look at them and decide for yourself: what has changed?





Vaida became interested in the topic after becoming a mother herself.

"After the birth of my first child, my views on the world and motherhood changed dramatically," she recalls. "Motherhood changes a woman's perspective on the world, giving her a new, deeper intuition and wisdom."



Wanda says she conceived the project to prove that having a child doesn't just complicate parenting; it brings with it new gifts that a woman can enjoy.

"Motherhood is a profound experience, filled with joy, pain, exhaustion, and love. When a woman becomes a mother, she truly feels her inner energy; her intuition becomes stronger, and her wisdom reaches new heights."

The photo project involved 33 women who gave birth to 36 children—20 boys and 16 girls—including two sets of twins. Vaida is grateful to each of them for their participation and patience.

"The birth of this photo project was like the birth of a child," Vaida recalls. "Nothing depends on you, you just wait for it to happen, and you enjoy the anticipation itself."



The project's author says she deliberately chose the simplest way to show the difference, taking portraits reminiscent of passport photos. According to her, attention should be paid primarily to the gaze, as it is the eyes that best reflect a person's inner changes.



Some critics argue that the differences in the before and after photos are noticeable primarily due to the different lighting (the photographer took the before and after photos in different studios). But Vaida believes that this is only a small part of the differences, most of which are related to the internal changes occurring in woman.







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