‘A Different View’ photo series challenges the social stigmas of pregnancy and motherhood

Serbian photographers Dragana Djorović and Jovan Marjanov are looking to make a statement against pregnancy and motherhood stereotypes through their photo series A Different View. In it, they capture mother and model Marijana Jovanović taking part in a number of professions that aren’t often suggested for a woman who’s late into her third pregnancy.

Working on a car, chopping away at lumber, operating a backhoe and even boxing, the strong compositions paint an interesting metaphor for the message Djorović and Marjanov are trying to get through. The artists’ statement explains the rational behind the project and what it represents, saying:

The idea is to show that female body, even in its most delicate condition, is not powerless, that pregnancy and motherhood do not exclude the freedom nor magnitude of choice. Our desire is to encourage women, whether they are mothers or not, to live by their choices regardless of established social norms.

The series accomplishes just that, through the use of dynamic lighting and clever contextualization. Below is the photo series in its entirety:

To see more work from Dragana Djorović and Jovan Marjanov, they work together as The New Dirigible Studio, whose website you can check out here. 

I'd also be amiss to not make mention of recent writeup by Lynsey Addario for the New York Times, 'What Can a Pregnant Photojournalist Cover? Everything.'

Image credits: Photographs by Dragana Djorović and Jovan Marjanov, used with permission