Megan K Eagles Documents the Powerful Process of Motherhood
The process of motherhood is one of the most beautiful things we can witness during a lifetime. Sadly, I think the process is taken for granted, with many feeling like it’s just something humans do. That’s why we need people to share the experience of pregnancy and motherhood from different perspectives, like the photographer Megan K Eagles did with her touching series, Nurture.
On a simplistic level, the idea that humans are able to create, carry and give birth to a smaller, tiny human blows my mind. Growing up, when I saw the women in my life go through the process of birthing a child, I always felt grateful it was something I wouldn’t have to endure. However, with age, I’m somewhat envious of the process, as I’m certain that for all its challenges, it’s one of the most rewarding things a person can experience—a bond between humans like no other, perhaps.
As a photographer and writer, I’ve not found a way to authentically tell the story of motherhood; I likely never will. Thankfully, Megan K Eagles, an incredibly talented photographer based in England, has developed a photographic series that shows what motherhood and the nurturing of a child are like for those that have the experience.
Nurture is an exploration of the different experiences people have had during pregnancy. While the series is sure to raise questions, at its core it can teach us about the beauty of something so pure; something so human.
Curious about Eagles' motivation for the series, and the stories behind her subjects, I asked if she would be up for doing an interview with Them Frames. I’m happy to say she said yes.
Them Frames: Hey Megan! Let's start by checking in; tell us about you and your relationship with photography.
Megan K Eagles: I am a photographic artist currently living and working in Camberwell, London. My ambition is to create an honest and intimate storytelling approach to photography whether I am working in fashion, celebrity portraiture, or documentary work. I work with a mixture of medium format and 35mm film. My go-to cameras are a Pentax 645, a Contax G2, and my old trusty Pentax MX. I only shoot on film as, for me, nothing comes compares to the light and color film can capture.
Them Frames: Let's talk about Nurture. What was the inspiration for the series?
Megan K Eagles: After becoming pregnant during lockdown and then becoming a mother myself, I found myself drawn to examine the experiences of pregnancy and motherhood. I wanted to capture all the hopes and anxieties, their mythology, and belief systems across a diverse collection of volunteer mothers.
I didn’t feel myself adjusting to motherhood as quickly as I perceived other mothers to adjust. Perhaps this was due to my fear of childbirth (a condition called tokophobia) and also being separated from my baby in the NICU for five days post-birth due to being exposed to Covid on the ward. I found it a very cathartic experience talking to other mothers while I photographed them. You are asking for something very intimate from strangers to share with the world.
Them Frames: You have a range of subjects in the series. How did you find them all, and how did you sell the concept to them to get them involved?
Megan K Eagles: It started off with word of mouth, friends, and friends of friends who had had babies around the same time as me. From there I found people via Facebook groups (these are always great for casting!) and Instagram.
Them Frames: Your subjects are offering their vulnerability in these frames. How do you approach a shoot and how do you ensure your subjects feel comfortable?
Megan K Eagles: As I am photographing nudity, I make sure to create a safe space with clear boundaries before we start shooting in terms of what people are comfortable with. I will then also send my selects back for approval before releasing them.
Nudity does take on a new meaning during pregnancy and motherhood, something I realized myself. It’s almost as though your body takes on a new purpose, and nudity serves a practical life-giving purpose rather than something sexualized.
Them Frames: Can you tell us a little bit about the message you're aiming to send to the public with this series?
Megan K Eagles: Through this series, I wanted to show an exploration of my experience of motherhood while capturing other mothers’ experiences, seeing different relationships between mothers and children, and how other mothers were navigating this new world. I wanted to capture natural moments, intimacy in parenthood, and the potentiality of pregnancy, all while understanding my own path of motherhood.
Them Frames: If you had to select one image you feel truly convey's what you wanted to say with this series, which would it be and why?
Megan K Eagles: It would be this image of Alycia and her son Mars which is my favorite of the series. I have known Alycia for a few years through photography and I found out she was pregnant at the same time as me. She gave birth to Mars a month before me and I went to visit her a few months later to take their portrait.
I love this image as it captures an intimate moment between mother and son but also between Mars and the camera. For me, it comes together to really convey the feeling of motherhood.
Them Frames: What type of person do you feel will most likely connect to your work?
Megan K Eagles: I hope that this will connect with a wide variety of people, however, I imagine it does probably connect most with other mothers or mothers to be. For me, as someone who was never much interested in babies, I have since become obsessed and now coo at every little one I see. So it does change you!
Them Frames: Your portraits have been shortlisted for and won, awards with Portraits of Humanity and Portraits of Britain. How does it feel to receive that type of validation for your hard work?
Megan K Eagles: For this project, I had to find women of varying ages, and diverse backgrounds in different stages of pregnancy and motherhood and then had to win their trust and connect with them so we could work together as photographer and subject. I do believe that the effort paid off and that this is my most successful project to date - it was really exciting to have the validation of these awards to support this.
Them Frames: In closing, what's next for you in the world of photography?
Megan K Eagles: I hope to shift my career into a full-time photographic one and to start taking commercial and editorial jobs that align with my photographic style. Fingers crossed!
