Winni Wintermeyer

While I didn’t know Jessica beforehand, I was very familiar with her workplace, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Over the years I’ve worked with SFMoMA on various projects, so I was already familiar with the commitment and dedication of the people who work there.

I wanted to approach the photo in a photojournalistic way, rather than staging it as a portrait. I asked Jessica to roam through the galleries with a coworker. I gave as little direction as possible; I wanted her to just engage with the art and forget about the camera.

Winni is an American photographer based in San Francisco, CA

I’ve always been curious about understanding different points of view. One of the greatest things about being a freelance photographer is getting access to different places and people. When I was asked to contribute to Showing, I was excited—pregnancy is a subject I hadn’t dealt with before.

Much of my personal work deals with the intersection of man-made and natural environments. In my editorial work—mostly portraiture—I had worked on a few stories involving families, but nothing specific to pregnancy. I try to pay attention to things that are usually overlooked, arranging small details into storylines.

While there’s been a good deal of discussion lately about the difficulties women face in the workplace, pregnancy hasn’t been talked about as much. Having grown up in Germany, I was used to the kinds of strong labor laws that protect women during their pregnancy and after childbirth. There’s a lot more to be done in this country—financial support so women can take time off from work while pregnant, paid maternity leave. Participating in Showing made me a lot more aware of the hardships that pregnant women face while working.