Geoffrey Biddle
I photographed many women for Showing, and I didn't know any of them beforehand. But it's easy for me to be comfortable with new people, and that makes it easy for them to be comfortable with me—and my camera. It’s not the same level of intimacy as I share with my own family, obviously, but building that trust between the photographer and the photographed is crucial.
My approach to taking pictures is actually fairly straightforward: I focus on what interests me. That seems obvious, and perhaps it is. If I’m photographing a musician, for example, I try to depict their instrument. And when I’m photographing a pregnant woman, I don't hide her belly. It was truly fascinating to observe the physicality of pregnancy—to see it taking place in the office, or the grocery store, or the classroom. Watching women adjusting their bodies at their desks, or their counters, or their lunch tables, helped me understand their experience in a visceral way.
Geoffrey is an American photographer based in Berkeley, CA.
Alicia, Cashier, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2012
Rebecca, Teacher and Psychologist, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2012
Jacqueline, Rabbi, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2009
Nicole, Physician, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2011
Kristin, Second-Grade Teacher, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2012
Raquel, Sales Assistant, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2011
Raquel, Shelf Stocker, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2011
Nancie, Business Owner and Head Designer, from Showing: Pregnancy in the Workplace, 2011
Family has always been an important theme in my work. I started photographing seriously when I was a senior in high school, and last spring was my fiftieth high school reunion—meaning I've been at it for five decades. At first, it was my parents and sibling whom I photographed. Now, it's my wife and children. The Showing project, being so particularly about family, is territory I've been exploring my whole life.
Third Street, New York City—Mary Ann Cutting Eve’s Hair, 1984
Wallkill, New York—My Mother Swinging Eve On The Hammock, 1988
Wallkill, New York—Mark And Sydney With Eve, 1991
Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania—Four Generations, 2013
Avenue A And Eleventh Street, New York City, from Alphabet City, 1977
Back in the early days, when I was doing assignments, my colleagues would praise photo essays in which the photographer "really got in there." To them, that meant that the photographer managed to be present in an intimate moment. At a certain point, I realized that, when it came to my own family, I was already "in there." While it can be fascinating to see how someone photographs a foreign country, or how they capture the subtleties of a stranger, I find it more interesting to see how a photographer represents their own territory, where they know what the signals mean and what the nuances connote. That intimacy is part of what makes for a good photo.
In The Jacob Riis Housing Project, New York City, from Alphabet City, 1977
From A Story On Boxing In Alphabet City, New York City, for Geo, 1978
From A Story On The Mobile Homes Across America, for Geo, 1981
From A Story On The Beaches Of Rio De Janeiro, for Geo, 1982