©2009 Jennifer Loomis Photography
Photographer Fantastique: Jennifer Loomis
PoshCravings, January 2007
Brought to you by: Briar Patch Heirlooms
Photographer Fantastique: Jennifer Loomis
from her passion for photography to her personal style, Sydney scoops the award-winning artist
I recently met the pregnancy photographer at the dark, industrial, and incredibly chic Slow Club near her San Francisco studio. As we chatted over flickering votives and plates of Mediterranean food, I felt like a regular. And I quickly realized why hundreds of women have traveled across the country to have Jennifer tell their story. She is passionate about her craft, dedicated to positive change, and has a presence that puts both mind and soul at ease. Thanks to Jennifer, women everywhere have embraced their blossoming bodies and, in the words of one of her clients, asked themselves, “Is the beautiful 37-week-pregnant woman in those pictures really me?”
Let’s start from the beginning — when did you first pick up a camera?
I first picked up a camera when I was 8 years old. It was an old Kodak camera. (I actually just found an old photo from 1978 of myself taking a picture with that camera!) When I was in high school, my cousin gave me a Pentax camera. However, it wasn’t until I lived in Japan that I got hooked.
So, how did you get from that day to where you are now?
I first became seriously interested in photography during a solo backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, using my camera to meet people and discover different cultures. This led to my first career, in photojournalism. Then I took a class on photographing nudes of women, and realized that no one was really capturing the beauty of women the way I thought they should. That’s when I decided to focus on photographing pregnant women.
Honestly, I never thought I would become a photographer as my profession. It was my art, what I did on evenings and weekends for fun. My family is very business focused and that was the direction they always steered me in. But I gradually steered myself towards my passion. It has been an arduous road, but I have learned a lot. I have photographed more than 1,000 women, and have three studios - in San Francisco, Seattle, and New York. I also photograph families because mothers and fathers come back with their babies after they are born.
Why do you focus so exclusively on maternity and family?
Because I am passionate about it and I love witnessing this time in people’s lives. There is so much love. Plus, I love the pregnant nude. I think it is a very under-represented form in the art world. Initially, I did it to challenge society’s definition of beauty. Now, I think society has started to embrace the pregnant body led by the mother’s themselves who are having photos taken.
You are so right — in a way, pregnancy used to be a very taboo subject. What has happened to bring this photography genre into the mainstream recently?
Annie Leibovitz and Demi Moore did a great thing for pregnant women when they did that shoot for the cover of Vanity Fair in 1991. That opened the vault and forced people to look at the pregnant body. I also think that the celebrity culture deserves some credit, as celebrities are very open with their bodies. As a result we are constantly bombarded with images of beautiful pregnant women.
I agree, especially after seeing the ever-glam Catherine Zeta-Jones with her baby bump. What does your photography provide to modern moms?
My photography provides modern moms the opportunity to feel beautiful about their bodies during their pregnancy. Sometimes mothers come in and can’t see their beauty and when they get the photos back then all of a sudden their opinions/feelings about their bodies change. I constantly hear “Wow, I look so beautiful. I can’t believe this is me!“ I love hearing that, it gives me goose bumps to think that my work can change the way a woman sees herself.
Women deserve to feel that beautiful! Do you find that most of your clients are nervous to start?
In the beginning some people are nervous, but now that I have an established reputation, most women coming to me trust me implicitly. They know that I am going to do everything to make them look great.
So, how do you calm those who are nervous and get the inner mama mojo to come out?
Mostly through conversation. I love talking to people and learning more about them. I ask parents how they met, how their pregnancy is, what they’ve learned. I have all these amazing stories of how couples met, their births, the challenges they face as parents and spouses. I am actually working on a book about it. I also share my own experiences and challenges that I have faced as a woman and a business owner; this vulnerability helps my clients to feel more comfortable opening up.
How do you bring a new viewpoint and make the photographs individual, instead of doing the same thing every time?
I bring a new viewpoint each time because each mom is different and each family has a different dynamic. My background as a photojournalist has been invaluable, because I have been trained to tell a story with photographs. This means my eyes see more than most people’s do because I notice everything from the color of the socks to how the husband hands the mother the baby’s blanket.
Every mother is different and likes different things. It helps to talk with them. And sometimes I just ask them to trust me. I also have a bag full of lenses and film types and other things that I use if I ever feel that I need something fresh.
Your photos are so straightforward in a way – romantic without the clichés of romanticism – how do you achieve this?
Thank you. That is a nice description of them. I am trained to capture a feeling in a photograph, to tell a story. You have to anticipate and observe your subjects and get to know them so you can actually make the photograph that best depicts them. Of course, I can set things up and give some direction, but I mainly ask clients how they hold their baby, hug their partner, etc. Those are your photographs that tell a story.
What’s the reaction you get most from clients and others who see your work?
Most people are amazed by my work, which is really flattering. People actually pick up on the subconscious feeling that I try to capture in my photos. Often they can’t quite articulate it, but they always say, “there is just something about your photos that I really love.” A feeling clicked with them and made them decide to choose me as their photographer even if they had to fly 1,000 miles to come to one of my studios.
You give so much to these mothers and families - what do you get out of the work you do?
Hmmm, I like this question because I get so much back from my clients and rarely get to reflect on it. Many of them have become friends of mine. They also teach me about love and the trials and tribulations of marriage and raising a family. I am constantly inspired by the women I photograph. I am truly blessed, and as a way of giving back, I donate more than 10% of my income to organizations helping women and children.
Indulge me: If you could shoot anyone, any celebrity, any mom or family, who would it be?
I would love to shoot Madonna or Angelina Jolie. They are role models for me because they are strong women who stick to their beliefs and have used their celebrity status to try, in a responsible way, to make this world a better place.
On the flipside, who would you pick to shoot you if you were pregnant?
This is a tough question, but I would probably ask Joyce Tenneson, who has been a mentor of mine, or Annie Leibovitz, who helped me get started in all this.
Now for the nitty-gritty that all us moms want to know - how do you find time for yourself amongst all the pressures of running a business, your family, and just life in general?
Yoga and meditation are integral parts of my morning routine - that and walking my crazy happy dogs. I wake up at 6 to meditate, then do Iyengar yoga and stretching. By the time I am finished, the dogs know I am up and are racing around the house because they know it is their turn for a walk. It is such a great way to start my day.
What do you do to renew your mojo when you are feeling particularly frazzled?
As a creative person who travels twice a month often for a week at a time, I need to be very careful that I don’t burn out. To combat burnout, I take a lot of vacations and usually plan one or two yoga retreats a year. Also, at my studios, we all work four-day weeks.
A four-day work week sounds fabulous! The girls and I all have bios posted at PoshCravings.com – if you had to write a similar one, what would it say?
Career: Fine-art photographer specializing in pregnancy and family in San Francisco, Seattle, and New York.
Cravings: Warm blue water and a good view
Personal Style: Trendy, yet comfortable. I love my 1921 jeans and black boots, but I always shoot in bare feet. The artist in me favors darker colors, but I love anything in my favorite color, green. I peruse sites like ShopItToMe.com to find my favorite designers on sale.
Fave Celeb Mommy: Julia Roberts and Madonna
Manifesto: “Passion and love must drive your world.” This is a quote from Mario Garcia, a professor of mine from Poynter Institute…AND “You must be the change you want to see in the world” by Gandhi.
Although it has been some time since Jennifer picked up her first camera at age eight, I can’t help but feel like that same curiosity and spirit she felt then still inspires her photography today. Jennifer has encouraged women across the world to harness their maternal mojo and bask in the beauty of motherhood. Now, if only I could figure out where I put that new lens, I’ve got some photos of my own to take - with a spark of inspiration from my newfound friend.
