To end the year, I wanted to look back at the photographic work I created in 2020. I did this by using a wonderful exercise from photographer and filmmaker Sarah Mason.
For the exercise I had to firstly pick 5 photos that made me feel something. Secondly, I had to find a connection between these photographs. To describe the overarching themes and feelings captured within the chosen images. It was very hard to choose these five images, but having done so I found it an unbelievably valuable exercise.
In this blog post I want to share with you my 5 favourite photographs. I am not sharing one of the images on here, as I do not have permission by the parents to do so. I will always respect the individual wishes of the families I work with. The missing photo is of a mother helping her son get dressed. I replaced this image with the last photo of the hands.
My 5 favourite photographs
FATHER AND SON
What I really like about this photo is the strain on my husband’s face and how my little one looks so safe and comfortable on his back on this very windy walk. This photo encapsulates what we do for our children and how strong this love for them is. It also has a timeless quality to it. It is a scene that can be found in every culture.
EARLY DAYS
I remember those early days with my little one and they were not always easy. This picture reminds me of that time, where I was finding my own feet as a mother and still getting to know my baby. It shows me the patient love a mother has for her child. I really like all the little details in this photo. Especially that mom hasn’t had her shower yet and is still sitting in her robe. To me, this photograph sums up the early days of motherhood.
DREAMLAND
This is a self-portrait I took on Christmas morning. Most nights I end up in my son’s bed, and I wanted to remember this with a physical photo of something I understand will be fleeting. When I see this photo, I can feel his warm little body in all the folds of mine and I can smell his tickly soft hairs. This is a photo that will go up on my own wall!
SPIDERMAN
I chose this image because it screams childhood to me. I cannot even imagine myself climbing a counter anymore. He looks like spiderman! It is an everyday moment and I really love how children feel so comfortable with themselves when there is a ‘stranger’ with a camera. It is truly an honour to be allowed into a home and into someone’s life. This photo shows an intimate and special moment between me and the person I photograph.
BONDING
I really enjoy capturing details of a scene. This are the hands of a father and a son building a hut indoors. Faces are not always needed to capture a relationship or intimacy. This is photo from a family shoot of two separated parents and their child. They had a ‘mommy and daddy day’, where they have fun all together. This day together is to remind their child that he is loved by both his parents. That he doesn’t have to choose one parent over the other. This session was so important to me because I know that these photos will mean a lot to this child in particular. And these pictures of him with both his parents will go up on their wall, so he can be reminded daily that he can feel loyal to both and he has two people who support him.
My photography word
After picking my 5 favourite images I analysed them and looked at what they had in common. l also noted down the words that came up when looking at my photographic work. The words that came up for me were: intimate, wistful, quiet, nostalgic, and close/relational.
My main photography word is: INTIMATE.
I think that the word intimate really is what I try to embody with my photography. I want to photograph and capture the intimacy in relationships. The love that is there. I want to bottle up those small and quiet moments which often go unnoticed or are taken for granted. I also want to create an intimacy when I photograph just a single person. To get close to what makes them be themselves and capture their personality.
I did this exercise together with two photographer friends: Anja and Franki (Franki is working on her website at the moment so I will add her link later on). Do have a look at their 5 favourite photographs as well. Seeing the chosen images from each of us really shows how each photographer has their own style and unique view.
Which words or feelings come up for you when you see these photos? I would love to hear your thoughts about them, so do share it with me in the comments below.
As a photographer, I’ve always turned to my camera not just to capture beauty, but to tell stories—especially my own. Photography has been my diary, my way of processing and preserving experiences that words often fail to hold. And now, as I navigate through...
https://vimeo.com/1059874091?share=copy#t=0 Some moments in life feel truly special—where excitement, joy and love come together in an unforgettable way. That’s exactly what happened when an 8-year-old boy had his wish granted by Make-A-Wish Foundation: to become a...
When planning a family photo session, one of the most important aspects to consider is what you’ll do with your images afterward. Unfortunately, this step often gets overlooked. You’ve invested time, effort, and money into capturing these moments—they deserve to be...
0 Comments