Often I feel like I’m hitting my head against a brick wall, but sooner or later finding the first few subjects and carrying out initial shoots means I can start sharing images which draw more people in. I think the "breast is best" debate is far too simplistic and binary - the reality for a lot of women is much more nuanced.įor a lot of my personal projects, I use social media, putting our casting calls and also messaging people who are already speaking about the subjects I’m focusing on. Also a lot of the discussion tends to be about breastfeeding in public, which is important, but there’s so much other stuff that doesn’t get a look in. When we do see breastfeeding in the media, it tends to be somewhat shielded. I think the media are broadly pro-breastfeeding, but they tend not to acknowledge the intricacies and realities of it. I guess women’s breasts have become so sexualized, that actually what they are originally for has almost been forgotten. For a lot of people, and not just men, they find it kind of gross. But it does seem to remain somewhat taboo. I think breastfeeding is seen differently all over the world, even between different regions of the UK, so I wouldn’t want to generalize too much about how it’s seen. What are some of the stigmas that your work acknowledges? This stage of motherhood is an emotional roller coaster, and I guess I wanted to reveal some of that and explore the range of emotions in both mothers and their babies. While experiencing complications myself, it made me want to open up the conversation surrounding the subject and try and show something a little more realistic than perhaps what we are used to. What inspired Milk and where did the project begin for you?īecoming a mother for the first time, I was completely taken back by how much of a minefield breastfeeding is.
Here, Harris-Taylor shares with BuzzFeed News a selection of pictures from Milk and discusses where the project began for her.
In an effort to help dissolve some of the stigma and misconceptions surrounding the topic, London-based photographer Sophie Harris-Taylor created Milk, a series of intimate photographs and interviews with new mothers about their experiences with breastfeeding. What is perhaps one of the most elemental acts of motherhood is often considered taboo in both the US and the UK. In the US, where breasts have been sexualized through generations of advertising and consumerism, breastfeeding in a public space can also be the subject of disgust and scorn. While studies have shown that breastmilk can aid in developing stronger immunities in babies and provide optimal nutrition for newborns, the act of breastfeeding is often met with stigma in many places around the world.īreastfeeding can also be physically and psychologically demanding - for new mothers who are unable to breastfeed their babies, it can be a source of anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. For many new mothers, breastfeeding can be as rewarding an experience as it is a daunting challenge.