I was scouting for photos in the volcanic area near Mataranka in the Northern Territory, Australia.
I found this mother and her child. She was looking for a volcanic pool of approximately blood temperature where she could introduce her child to the water with minimal stress. She agreed that I could take a photo of the process and I am eternally grateful for that. I thought it was a tremendous thing to do for her child and she showed great Motherly Love which is what I used as a title for the photo.
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I did my best to create the feelings of the love of the mother and the relaxed way the baby was enjoying the process. It was also related to my love of the bush and the natural world in general.
Thanks Reg for posting this really touching image. Firstly, I think this really shows the Australian personality of openness and confidence. I’m sure there’s not many places in the world a stranger could ask to photograph. woman in a bikini and not get pepper sprayed! Good stuff.
Even without your back story, this image is very expressive. Unlike pure landscape photography, this image contains explicit human values. A woman and a child. There is nothing more embryonic to our psych than this bond.
Had she not been there and you had somewhat felt that metaphor organically from the space you were in (womb-like perhaps) - it would be almost impossible to express that to a viewer without a good amount of text to elaborate on the metaphor.
This is where we struggle with the articulation of a story, and why I wince when people say “images need a story”
I love the feeling of blood water here, you’ve really hammered it home and I feel you have a great connection to this scene and a strong paternal instinct too. Thanks so much.
A very touching scene and well photographed. I am, however, moving it to the Non-nature category. The Human and Fauna is intended for images of domesticated animals or wild animals in an obviously human made environment. Thank you for posting this.
