Sarah Craig
Wendy, the woman I photographed, was an ecologist. I didn't know her before the shoot, but she understood the importance of the project, and she was keen to be photographed.
Most of all, I remember her strength. That might sound like a platitude, but it’s really not. She was quite pregnant, and yet, there she was: baking in the hot sun, wading through a marsh, and carrying heavy equipment, all without batting an eye. She was strong and resolute, a perfect counterexample to the preconceptions of pregnant women as fragile and delicate.
Sarah is an American journalist and photographer based in Boulder, CO.
Wendy, Ecologist, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2012
Candis, Project Coordinator, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2012
Laura, Outreach Coordinator, Women's Community Clinic, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2012
Sandy, Nurse Practitioner, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2012
But I didn’t just set out to capture the hardship of pregnancy. I also wanted to show Wendy’s dedication to her work. It was inspiring to watch her deep curiosity about what she was studying in the field. This shoot wasn’t simply about a woman struggling with the physicality of working while pregnant—this was also about a woman who loved her work.
I am a documentary photographer and radio journalist. I’ve noticed that I tend to gravitate towards photographing women—in particular, those who are holding up their communities or working to make their situation better. I believe it's important to give a voice to the voiceless, and to monitor the effects of powerful actors on the lives of the powerless.
That’s why I felt it was important to be a part of Showing. In a world that so often takes women for granted, I wanted to help shine a light on the important work that we do. I was also interested in showing the lack of support that pregnant women receive in our country. Women are working right up until their due dates, and after giving birth, they’re right back at work. There’s a pride and a strength in that, but it’s also frustrating to watch. Showing is, hopefully, a way to change the way people think about pregnancy, and about femininity.