July 24, 2003 — In a very personal documentary project, photographer Charles Mason and his wife, Julie Houghton, chronicled their efforts, spanning a period of more than 8 years, to get pregnant. With his camera, Charles recorded each step of the process, from early failed efforts to simply allow nature to take its course to later attempts at conceiving through high-tech fertility treatments.

Finally, in July 1999, Julie and Charles were rewarded with a healthy 8.5-pound boy using in vitro fertilization with donor eggs. Four years later, they gave birth to a second child using the same method — and with embryos from the same batch that Zachary came from. This is their story, as documented by the subjects. Click here to begin.