In Waiting

Dates

2020 - Ongoing
Author

Tori Ferenc
Locations City of London, Poland

„In Waiting” aims to capture the anxieties and joys of pregnancy and first-time parenthood during the coronavirus pandemic.

I found out I was expecting in April 2020, a month into the national lockdown. With our families back in Poland, the pregnancy became an intimate experience I shared with my husband. Limited mostly to the space of our apartment, I turned the camera on us. I began documenting our lives in this transformative moment, and I have continued doing so with the arrival of our daughter. I hope to show the accidental poetry of everyday life through the eyes of a mother.

© Tori Ferenc - Image from the In Waiting photography project

Morning Shower. This is a self-portrait I took at seven months pregnant. I am sitting in our bedroom after the morning shower, my hair wrapped in a blanket. Around that time, I was really worried I would have to go on bed rest due to some pregnancy complications, so I found peace in having daily rituals and small acts of self-care.

Oranges and Lemons.

39 Weeks. I took this portrait of my husband Maciej and me exactly a week before our daughter was born, and it is the only picture I made of us together during my pregnancy. I wanted to bring attention to Maciej and focus on the support he has given me throughout my pregnancy, both mentally and physically - which is why my face is buried in his arms, hidden from the viewer. I asked him to wear black in order to contrast my own nudity. My body is fully on display, yet in a way, we are both naked in this photograph.

Early Mornings. Mila's first portrait.

Carnation.

Sore Breasts. Since the birth of our daughter, breastfeeding has been a struggle. The problems I had with latching and feeding, the pain I felt in the early days - it all made me feel like I was failing at something that should come naturally to me. At some point, I started developing mastitis and my mom told me that I should put crushed cabbage leaves on my breasts to ease the pain.

The House is On Fire. I took this picture during one of many walks I had with Mila, I felt like it represented the overwhelming change I was facing in my own life.

The Nose Bleed. Towards the end of the pregnancy and after Mila was born, I was experiencing nose bleeds almost on a daily basis.

Soft Belly, Strong Arms.

Self-portrait with my hair undone.

Bottle Teat.

The Jab. Mila after her 16th-week vaccination, in her dad's arms.

The Visit. I took this portrait during Mila’s first visit to Poland. Here we are in the kitchen of my husband’s grandmother: Maciej is holding Mila in his lap, while his great-aunt is tickling Mila’s leg. It was a cloudy and rainy day, but the sun came out just before I took this picture. Five minutes later, it was gone again. With three generations gathering for the first time- to me, this picture is about hope, change, and the joy of homecoming.

Weaning.

Portrait of a mother in the morning.

My milk tooth.

Take-away meals and baby food.

The First Haircut.

The Wet Nappy.

Cooling Down. This is a self-portrait I took with my daughter during the heatwave. I wanted to create a playful photograph, inspired by the sensuality of wet t-shirt contests, and turning this image into a celebration of a mother's body.

Self-care.

The Heatwave.

In Waiting by Tori Ferenc

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