Portraits of Pregnancy

Winner of the 2010 PubWest Book Design Award. Recognizing superior design and outstanding production quality of books in 20 different categories, as well as giving a special award for Judges’ Choice, Publishers Association of the West awarded a bronze award to Portraits of Pregnancy. More than 140 book entries were judged on typography, jacket/cover design, interior design, format, selection of materials used, and printing and binding production quality. Congratulations to Kim Johansen and Jennifer Loomis!

The 3.5 million women who become pregnant in the US each year crave information and affirmation, especially when it is their first child. Portraits of Pregnancy, by acclaimed photographer Jennifer Loomis and journalist Hugo Kugiya, combines captivating fine-art photographs of pregnant women with intimate stories of their transformative journey into motherhood. The inspiring words and gorgeous photographs of these strong women show others how to deal with conflicting feelings of vulnerability and joy, underscoring that when a baby is born, so too is a mother.

Praise for Portraits of Pregnancy 

Jennifer’s photographs are works of art, incorporating honesty, vulnerability, and a sense of humor. Every woman she photographs looks absolutely beautiful.

—Jeff Probst,
host of the Survivor television series

By now, we’ve all seen gorgeous photographs of pregnant women. But Jennifer Loomis’s Portraits of Pregnancy goes further by giving us an intimate look at pregnant women and their stories. No matter who you are—young, older, single, married, part of a traditional couple or same-sex couple, small, big, tattooed or pierced—you can see yourself represented in this book, and think, ‘I am beautiful, too.’ Very touching and valuable, indeed.

—Peg Moline, Editor in Chief, Fit Pregnancy

While pregnancy can cause everything from a glow to a greenish hue, local photographer Jennifer Loomis believes there’s beauty in every mom-to-be. In her first book, Portraits of Pregnancy: The Birth of a Mother, she showcases a wide range of women and their pregnancy stories. A pioneer of the pregnant nude niche, Loomis has made a career of helping pregnant women feel gorgeous—she’s exhibited her work in New York City, San Francisco and Seattle, and been featured on NPR and Good Morning America as well as in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. As someone who struggled with an eating disorder as a teen, Loomis knows how important it is for women to feel attractive, even when the body seems to have a mind of its own. Reported by longtime journalist Hugo Kugiya (a University of Washington grad and feature writer for The Seattle Times), the narratives accompanying the photos include those of first-time mothers, third-time mothers, single mothers, lesbian mothers, black mothers, white mothers, mothers spanning ages 16 to 54 and many other mothers (several from Seattle). They reveal previous miscarriages, gay sperm donors, relationships that grew stronger post-pregnancy and relationships that ended before the baby was born. And of course the photos tell their own stories as Loomis celebrates mothers in all their big-bellied glory.

—Brangien Davis, Seattle

Portraits of Pregnancy: The Birth of a Mother is a must-have book for all women who are undergoing the beautiful nine-month transformation of pregnancy or considering motherhood. This gorgeous book of art photographs and heart-felt stories is a gift to buy for yourself and for a friend or family member who will be experiencing the joys of motherhood. The glowing faces Jennifer has captured makes me want to become pregnant all over again.

—Lyss Stern, Founder of Divalysscious Moms, the premiere luxury lifestyle company for NYC families, and co-author of If You Give A Mom A Martini

Jennifer Loomis’s evocative and moving portraits of pregnancy are a joy to behold. The images will captivate you and the stories of these women’s diverse journeys to motherhood will touch your heart.

—Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein,

Filmmakers of The Business of Being Born and authors of Your Best Birth