Beauty in Pregnant Form: An Interview with the Author of RIPE

I was recently given the opportunity to review the book RIPE by author and photographer Alexa Garbarino. The book is a beautiful photo essay compilation celebrating the nude pregnant body. Each page contains the photograph of a pregnant woman (real women--not models) in a location of her choosing accompanied by a story that reveals tidbits about her pregnancy and why she chose the particular location for her photo. Alexa captures the beauty, mystery and strength of the pregnant female form in her photographs. In her interview below, Alexa shares her thoughts on pregnant women, notes from creating her book and tips on taking nude pregnancy portraits. To view a preview of the book, visit www.ripethebook.com.Why do you feature only completely nude portraits in your book?Because the naked pregnant form is perfect and spectacular and I don't want to spoil it by introducing clothing. When did the nipple become so scandalous? I see so many photos where the women are completely naked but doing this little hand dance with one hand covering up here and one hand covering the down there. So much attention is paid to strategically, and awkwardly, covering up the breasts, it interrupts the natural flow and lovely lines of the body. That, to me, defeats the purpose of doing the nude. Why is the pregnant form something to document and celebrate? I've photographed over 100 women for this series and I'm still amazed at how every woman's shape shifts differently to grow another human being. It's an amazing thing that a woman's body can do. And while those nine months may feel like they're going to go on forever, pregnancy is fleetingI can't imagine not wanting to document it.How do you think your book and photos affect a pregnant woman's body image? I think the photos in RIPE help pregnant women to see how really beautiful, powerful and even sexy they are.Early on in the project, one potential model told me she was hesitant to pose because she didn't know if she had the right pregnant body. I was pretty surprised by her comment and replied, If you're pregnant, you have the right body. And countless women said they wanted to pose because they wanted to feel better about their ever expanding bodies.I think it's safe to say that Demi Moore's iconic Vanity Fair portrait inspired many women to openly embrace their naked form and celebrate their pregnancy if they chose to. It was a few years before Ms. Moore's cover came out that my pregnant friend Nancy agreed to pose nude for me. Until that point, I had never seen a pregnant woman naked, and I was stunned not by Nancy's girth, but by how strong and regal she looked while naked. I used to see pregnant women as giant, cumbersome creatures, an image that was reinforced by the perpetual reruns on TV of Lucy Ricardo encased in the mass quantities of fabric that passed as maternity clothes. My naked friend Nancy erased that perception for good, along with the all the other women in my book.What are your top three tips for looking great in a pregnancy portrait?

1. Avoid tight clothes. Don't wear bras or undies before the shoot because they leave impression lines.
2. Keep your body long. Arch your back and take a breath, it will give your body an elongated and elegant bearing. If you're reclining, lift your head away from your shoulders. Sitting poses are the hardest as they hide your belly.
3. Feel beautiful. Because you are, and that will come through in the photograph.

Is there an optimal time or month during pregnancy to take a portrait? I think most pregnancy photographers like to shoot at about 7 months or so, but I always like to shoot about 2-3 weeks before due date. I like to photograph a woman at her fullest, but not so close to the due date that we'll miss the shot if the baby decides to come early. I've done a few shoots where the baby came later that day or the next day.What was the most difficult shot in the book to get? I guess Jess on the #6 Train was the most difficult shot, but one of the most fun. It was 4am on a Saturday at the 59^th Street Station. When the train pulled up, the last car had only a man and a woman, sitting across from each other. Jess stood by the pole between them while I set up my camera. When I told Jess I was ready, she calmly turned to each of the passengers and said, I hope you don't mind, but we're going to take a picture. Then she threw her coat to her partner Chip. I frantically started shooting, barking out directions above the noise of the train. As soon as it pulled to a stop at 51^st Street, the two passengers made a beeline for the door, both of them laughing, and the man said, Onlyin New York. The train doors shut and we had the car to ourselves. I shot one more roll of film. Jess had barely gotten her coat back on as we pulled into Grand Central Station. The shoot was officially over.Alexa Garbarino is an award-winning photographer whose work has appeared on the covers of hundreds of books from publishers including Warner Books, HarperCollins, and Random House. She lives in Montclair, NJ with her husband and daughter. Alexa photographed her own pregnancy portrait in Times Square.Interested in meeting the photographer? She's on tour -- her next two tours are this weekend:Friday, March 25 at 7pmHennessey + Ingalls Art & Architecture BookstoreSpace 15 Twenty1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Suite 8Los Angeles, CA 90028Phone: 323-466-1256, Email: info@hennesseyingalls.comSaturday, March 26 at 3pmOrinda Books276 Village Square,Orinda, CA 94563Phone: (925) 254-7606, Email: orindabooks@thegrid.net