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One Day Young: Touching portraits of new mums with their one-day-old babies

The absolute pride, joy and love that a new mother must feel for their newborn is something I can't even begin to imagine. It's something – so I've been told – that becomes all encompassing where nothing else is as important than the love for your child.

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All images courtesy and copyright of Jenny Lewis

All images courtesy and copyright of Jenny Lewis

Which is why I admire this ongoing project by photographer Jenny Lewis. 'One Day Young' documents Hackney-based mothers with their newborns within the first 24 hours of birth. It's so touching to see the expressions on the mothers' faces. The fact that Jenny manages to capture the bonding, love and warmth between mother and child is incredibly special.

It's a photography series that really moves you, with every image taken at homes in East London and offering a rare glimpse into the beating heart of family life.

Alongside One Day Young, Jenny has also begun photographing the extraordinary network of creatives who live alongside her in Hackney. These sculptors, milliners, hula hoop performers, artists, potters and designers are pictured at a critical moment in Hackney’s history, as rising prices and redevelopment forces many of them to seek studio-space elsewhere.

More of Jenny's work can be found at Jennylewis.net or within her new book just released by Hoxton Mini Press, entitled One Day Young In Hackney. Also make sure you watch the video below to understand more about this beautiful project.

A woman holding her newborn baby close to her shoulder while looking thoughtfully at the camera in a domestic setting
A mother in black holds her newborn baby close to her face while sitting on a bed against a purple and white floral wallpapered wall
Woman holding her newborn baby in a bedroom, smiling down at the infant wrapped in a patterned blanket, with a guitar visible on the shelf behind her
Woman in a blue top holding her newborn baby, smiling at the camera in a bright interior room with a framed landscape photograph on the wall behind her
Woman smiling at camera while cradling her newborn baby wrapped in a dark blue blanket, from Jenny Lewis's One Day Young project
Woman in turquoise cardigan holding her newborn baby, looking at the camera in a bedroom setting with framed artwork on the walls behind her
A new mother in a teal top holds her newborn baby by a window with patterned curtains, gazing down at her child with a gentle smile
A new mother cradling her newborn baby while sitting in front of a white shelving unit filled with books and decorative items in her home
A smiling mother sits on a green sofa holding her newborn baby, wearing a dark patterned dress, with a colourful textile hanging on the wall behind her
Woman in dark blue top holding her newborn baby aloft and gazing at them with affection in a home setting
Woman in a plaid shirt holding her newborn baby in a kitchen, gazing down at the infant wrapped in blue
A woman in a black long-sleeved top holds her newborn baby in her arms while standing in a home studio, with photographs and creative materials visible on shelves behind her
A mother in a red top holds her newborn baby in profile near a bright green-walled room with a gridded window
Woman in polka dot jacket holding her newborn baby, smiling down at the infant in her arms at home
A new mother holding her one-day-old baby in her arms, standing in a home interior with shelves and red storage behind her
Woman in a floral robe holding her newborn baby on a brown sofa, smiling at the camera
Woman holding her one-day-old baby against a dark blue wall, both smiling at the camera
Woman in pink gingham dress holding and gazing at her newborn baby in a bedroom with pale blue walls and natural light from a window

Originally posted 3rd March 2015. Updated: 15th February 2016

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