American photographer releases book on women's journey through pregnancy

Only women can give life.  The miracle of this quintessentially feminine experience is the subject of a startlingly beautiful new book just released by American artist and photographer Patrick Stull.

"Evolve, a Woman's Journey" is both a study of the myriad of internal and external experiences many pregnant women go through, and a celebration of the supremely powerful process of creating life.  The portrayals of thirty women from around the world, accompanied by insights into their own individual stories, makes "Evolve, a Woman's Journey" visually and emotionally riveting.

Stull chose his subjects for the inspiring personal journeys they shared with him, including overcoming fears, discovering joy, acknowledging their personal power, and the transformative revelations they experienced during their pregnancies.  From the U.S. Air Force soldier who chose life instead of war, to the long-term anorexic whose physical transformation forever changed how she regarded herself in the mirror, to the abandoned woman who felt a reassuring sense-of-self as the result of her pregnancy, Stull's 100 images and companion text are thought-provoking, empowering, often heroic, and ultimately triumphant.

"I wanted to show these women at the most spectacular period of their lives," said Stull. "They each had so much courage by revealing their emotional and empowering stories to me and to the world. I feel the images communicate both their vulnerability and their strength."

Evolve, a Woman's Journey, is part of Stull's ongoing anthology about women, exploring many aspects of contemporary life, from birth to death. Future book projects include "The Yoga Within,"  "Women...a Global View" and "Women...Time and Wisdom."

As a companion to his newest book, Evolve, a Woman's Journey, a multi-city tour of Evolve, a Woman's Journey will be presented June 18th-July 8th, 2012 at San Francisco's Fort Mason Center.  The multimedia exhibition will allow visitors to hear the stories, emotions, and empowerment of individual woman firsthand through a private audio tour.  Accompanied by originally scored music, this captivating experience will feature photo images, paintings, and breathtaking life-size body casts and sculptures of the women portrayed.