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portrait | by Maureen Curtis Sculptured in s h a d o w s a n d light, people are the clay that photographer K i m b e r l y M a r a carves u p o n . N e w b o r n s yet to g r o w into their w r i n k l y skins, chubby babies sprouting feathered w i n g s , kissable toddlers and c u d d l i n g families. A r e all captured in the blink of a c a m e r a shutter - in the hands of an artist w h o s e star is o n the rise. M o s t p r e c i o u s of a l l are M a r a ' s m a t e r n i t y p o r t r a i t s , m a n y of t h e m nudes that capture a t i m e in a w o m a n ' s life w h e n she is bursting w i t h e x p e c t a n t life a n d s e n s u a l i t y . A g l i m p s e of a w o m a n , her p a r t n e r ' s hands caressing their unborn child through the taut, g l o w i n g skin of p r e g n a n c y m i g h t be c o n s i d e r e d s h o c k i n g , v o y e u r i s t i c . Yet, it is heart-stoppingly b e a u t i f u l . There w a s a t i m e w h e n an e x p e c t a n t m o t h e r c a m o u f l a g e d her bulk w i t h a v o l u m i n o u s s m o c k a la Lucille Ball, either a v o i d i n g the camera or hiding b e h i n d o n e or t w o siblings. But today, attitudes have clearly c h a n g e d . There's no l a w a g a i n s t s h o w i n g y o u r m i d r i f f as p r e g n a n t w o m e n bare it all in a bikini or the teen inspired c o m b o : l o w rise jeans a n d a high cut top. "I like to see w o m e n c o m i n g into my s t u d i o w i t h their heads up a n d t h e i r s h o u l d e r s b a c k . They are p r o u d a n d e x c i t e d , " says M a r a w h o began this aspect of her photography career by engineering a self-portrait of herself pregnant w i t h her n o w six-year-old d a u g h t e r M a d i s o n . A petite w o m a n w h o s e natural w a r m t h soon puts people at ease, M a r a is able to coax her subjects into relaxing and revealing t h e m s e l v e s at a t i m e w h e n w o m e n are apt to feel clumsy a n d unattractive. Then there's her ability to e m b r a c e the fallout from t a k i n g pictures of w o m e n in the late stages of pregnancy. Of the more than 1000 w o m e n w h o have c o m e t h r o u g h her studio in the past t w o a n d a half years, eight have had their water break in the studio. One gave b i r t h o n t h e s p o t - l u c k i l y she h a d midwife in tow. Mara documented her the p l a n n e d e v e n t a n d the m o t h e r left the idio w i t h her n e w baby a n d seven or eight Is of f i l m .