A British magazine for photographic art has published a photo series by Mary Beth Koeth. The pictures show porn stars as mothers with their own children.
A photo series in the British Journal of Photography has made headlines worldwide. The photographer Mary Beth Koeth has photographed porn actresses in their role as mothers and called the series »Porn Moms«.
In addition to the photos, the magazine also published a reportage by Laura Lee Huttenbach, which focuses on the stories of the women portrayed.
Mary Beth Koeth has devoted a lot of time to her photo project. The preparatory work began as early as 2017 when the photographer visited several adult entertainment fairs to get in touch with actresses and ask them to participate in »Porn Moms«. In the process, Koeth managed to gain the trust of the women and gain very private insights into their private lives, especially as mothers.
Huttenbach writes about Koeth’s approach: »Her goal was to meet mothers working in the adult film industry, to try and answer some of the questions she had about their lives. How do they balance motherhood with their work? How are they treated at school gatherings?«
»Porn Moms« features Tiffany Brookes, Cameron Canela, Makayla Cox, Nickey Huntsman and Emily Mena. They were photographed for the project and questioned in depth.
Brookes says: »After having my son I realized, ‘I’m a single mom and, oh shit, what can I do that’s going to bring in income now?’ He is literally my everything. Everything I do is completely thought out around him… The minute the camera is off and I leave set, it’s back to being a mom.«
For her part, Cox is honest with her daughter about her career choice.
Actress Makayla Cox decided early on not to hide her profession from her daughter. »She’s going to grow up knowing. It’s going to be common knowledge, like ‘Oh, OK, mommy does porn for a living.«
But all the actresses point out how much their motherhood shapes their view of the world and their work. Cameron Canela says: »Before, I definitely embraced who I was in the adult industry and didn’t really care what people thought about it. I was like, ‘This is who I am, this is what I like to do.’ Now I like having more of a conservative image. That has been the biggest transition for me, just realizing that there’s still a whole other side of me.«
Koeth’s photographs respectfully portray the actresses and show the normality of the women behind the sexy image. She says, »Their lives are just as complicated as the rest of ours. I’m grateful to these women for trusting me with a piece of their lives that, professionally, they prefer to keep secret.«
You can find the photo spread and accompanying text on the website of the British Journal of Photography.