Tony Gonzalez
I photographed a couple of different women for Showing, both of whom I knew going into the project. Jen was a schoolteacher, and Megan was a museum membership officer.
When I shoot, I tend to view the process as a conversation. l'Il come in with ideas about how I want things to look, but l'm also keen to hear what my subjects want. I'll ask if they have any ideas or thoughts. That way, the final product reflects an honest part of my subjects, rather than just my preconceived notions.
Tony is an American photographer based in New York, NY.
Meghann, Museum Membership Officer, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2012
Jenn, Elementary School Teacher, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2012
Much of my work deals with cataloging the mundane, the everyday. In the past, l've gravitated towards photographing morning routines—bathing, getting dressed. That was the perspective I tried to bring to Showing—shining a light on something that we take for granted. For people who are in their third trimester, getting dressed in the morning can be difficult. For women who are working through a pregnancy, even the most quotidian routines can be interrupted. Participating in Showing, I gained an insight into this experience that has made me more empathetic. It has helped me to understand—even in a limited way—how women experience the physicality of pregnancy.