Photographer Who Dislikes Fake Depictions of Breastfeeding Embarks on Project to Snap ‘Real’ Breastfeeding Photos

An Australian photographer and mother of two, Suzie Blake who grew annoyed seeing airbrushed images of mothers breastfeeding is telling her own story of breastfeeding by taking photographs to show the reality of suckling one’s young one, reports Daily Mail.

The documentary photographer said she was tired of seeing images that failed to portray the realities of breastfeeding for most women and so she embarked on her project;

“This project is about portraying breastfeeding in all its beautiful messiness.
This is about tired eyes and no makeup. This is about milk leaks and ratty hair
This is about giving in to all the demands of your two-year-old while you try to feed your newborn.”

Her pictures further show the messy house which most breastfeeding mothers have to deal with. The Melbourne photographer says it is ‘a human right for all people to be breastfed’ and argues that women may be discouraged because of the small number of matter-of-fact representations available for public viewing.

‘I’m all for celebrities and the media advocating breastfeeding, but an airbrushed photoshopped image of a woman breastfeeding is not realistic and it just presents another challenge for women who may be trying to breastfeed.
‘They’re going to think “I don’t look like her”, which is unhelpful.
‘Women who are trying to breastfeed need to see images and think “I can identify with that”.
‘I would like all people to recognise that breastfeeding is the norm.’

She holds strong views on the benefits of breastfeeding babies;

‘We are a mammalian species designed to feed our babies’ breast milk.
The benefits of breastfeeding are huge and all the scientific studies assert that we and future generations will reap the benefits if breastfeeding is commonplace.
Mothers need to feel supported by their family, friends and society at large.’

Blake who embarked on her mission after taking a self-portrait while she was breastfeeding her second son, 8-month-old Xavier (pictured above), says the project is partly aimed at empowering women to breastfeed their babies, believing that it can be very hard to do;

‘This is about the amazing thing that we, the women humans of this Earth, can do and that is sustain another human’s life with our own.’

Blake’s breastfeed photo on social media and an encouraging response to her request for women, who would not mind their real breastfeeding photos taken just like hers, started the project.
The documentary photographer will be visiting the UK this month to capture mothers there and is asking the public to donate to the crowdfunding appeal to carry on the project. She currently has more than $1,000 (£650) raised but wants to find $3,000 (£4,500) more.
Some of Blake’s candid shots of women breastfeeding at home, complete with messy houses and toddlers running riot in the background, in a series called ‘What does breastfeeding look like’ are shown below.