Giedre Gomes is an Indiana-based mother and professional photographer who spends a lot of time shooting gorgeous, frame-worthy photos of mothers and their children.
To show a more realistic view of motherhood, Gomes started a photo project that aimed to capture “the routine where every day is the same — breakfast, lunch, dinner, cooking, cleaning, dishes, laundry, driving...”
Gomes recruited some mom friends be in her photos after a search for models on Facebook proved fruitless. “Once I told them I needed someone to sit on the toilet butt-naked, they were like ‘Not for me!’ Thankfully my neighbor, Jamie, who is as crazy as me, said 'No problem!'”
Gomes says every photo in the series reflects something she went through — or is still going through — as a mom.
This includes wrangling kids who only seem to want to jump on the couch...
...and never getting a minute alone — even in the shower. “Most of the time when I shower, my 3-year-old sits on the toilet and waits for me,” Gomes said.
The photos capture the challenge of doing laundry with kids:
Those stolen moments of privacy:
And how those stolen moments never last long:
The stuff you do you wouldn't admit to anyone:
The little feet in your face:
The one-handed cooking:
The search for a little help:
And — let's not forget — the fun and fantastic moments too:
Gomes said the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, although some have criticized this photo, saying the child is too old to be breastfed.
In the end, Gomes said she hopes her photo project shows that stay-at-home moms don’t sleep all day or don’t work. "We don’t get a day off...ever. It’s hard work."
