Aimee and Jenna Hobbs, hailing from Stony Plain in Alberta, Canada, have embarked on a mission to promote body positivity by capturing the natural beauty of pregnant and postpartum women through breathtaking photographs.
Their project commenced during the summer of 2012 when they observed the prevalent insecurities that many mothers harbored about their bodies before and after childbirth.
Aimee and Jenna's endeavor involves photographing 15 mothers and their children every summer. The subjects of these portraits are encouraged to embrace their bodies, donning nothing more than lingerie, with some even posing topless or breastfeeding their babies.
Jenna, a 33-year-old mother of five, shared, "We noticed that a lot of women wanted to lose 10 pounds before appearing in any pictures. The problem with that is that when their kids look back at photos someday, they’ll notice their mother is missing from a lot of them."
Their aim is to celebrate the postpartum experience in all its forms, including stretch marks, C-section scars, and weight gain. Jenna continued,
"We wanted to celebrate the beauty of the postpartum look – the stretch marks, the C-section scars, the weight gain. We got a really great response from women who were interested in participating. It’s a difficult thing for them to do because they’re used to covering up this part of themselves."
Over the years, the sisters have received an overwhelmingly positive response from the mothers who took part in their project. Many participants experienced a newfound acceptance of their postpartum bodies, a transformational experience.
Aimee, aged 36, shared, "We’ve had so many people tell us that doing this was a huge turning point for them. We’ve never had negative feedback. Everyone we worked with had something good to say."
The series has gained remarkable popularity, attracting more than 200 mothers who expressed interest in the upcoming 2018 summer shoot. Aimee and Jenna remain committed to their mission and are constantly seeking new mothers to join their project, irrespective of age, shape, size, or ethnicity.
Their unwavering dedication and the powerful impact of their photographs have firmly established the sisters as advocates for promoting a positive and realistic image of pregnancy and postpartum experiences.
