Priscillia Saada’s photo series Moons is a cheeky snapshot of modern motherhood

“My mother had three children and was always in a rush, constantly running around with us,” Paris-based photographer Priscillia Saada tells It’s Nice That. “I’ve always been inspired by that image of her. Her imperfection, her strength and her elegance as a mother, always putting her children first while remaining very dynamic.”

Now a mother herself, the photographer wanted to capture the chaos of what it means to be a parent and a modern, messy vision of motherhood in a new photo series that captured an angle that “is not often shown in images: something dynamic, powerful, and imperfect.” This was the idea that birthed the artist’s humorous, intimate project and subsequent photobook Moons; a series that celebrates “the glorious slip moments of modern day mothers as they stride the streets with their little ones strung to their arms.”

The series first started with Priscillia photographing some friends of hers, and she soon knew it had more potential. She showed the work to friend and fellow art director Valentine Etievant who was keen for Priscillia to expand on the project and for the pair to eventually collaborate on a photobook together. “From this point, we reached out to many mothers. Most of them loved the idea and were happy to take part. I would usually meet them at their homes on weekends and photograph them with their children around their neighbourhood. The shoot process was very natural and easy.” From the first few images the casting came quite naturally, which created quite a casual and friendly dynamic to shoots, even with strangers: “Often, the mothers I photographed would say, ‘You should contact my friend, she has two kids and would love to do it’, so the project grew very naturally through word of mouth.”

Instead of styling each participant, Priscillia let each mother define their own look, planning out their own clothing (and underwear cameo) ahead of the day. Each of the models “slip moment” is a performed but relatable styling stunt that feels somewhere between documentary and fiction. Accompanied by little ones strung along by their side or held up in their arms, the shots are a visual metaphor for everything the modern mother juggles.

While the candid shoots went quite seamlessly, the real challenge for Priscillia was turning it into a book. As her first ever photobook, designed in collaboration with Valentine, the photographer had to learn the entire process from pre-press to print, deciding on the right paper, format and layout that would give each of these shots their time in the sun. Despite the lengthy design process the hardback came to life giving Moons a new vessel to be seen and shared. “The photobook felt like the right format to redefine motherhood and present it through a more modern lens,” Priscillia ends.

Moons is available at the MEP, Yvon Lambert, Ofr and Cahier Central in Paris, and if you’re interested in buying a one off print, you can contact the artist.