The second year in my business has passed and I wanted to look back at the photographs I created in 2021. I do this to celebrate my development as a photographer, but also to help me understand what it is that I like to photograph. By choosing my 5 favourite photographs of 2021, I will understand more about the type of photos I love to take more of in the coming year.
Like last year’s top 5, I will be using Sarah Mason’s exercise to find a connection between my favourite images. To describe the themes and feelings captures I will choose five words and one main word. That way I will know which moments to look out for when I am doing a photo session or capturing my own life.
Have a look below at which images I picked and what I love about them.
My 5 favourite photographs of 2021
SAFETY
I love this image so much, even though there are no faces in it. It is about what this image stands for and represents that makes it so special to me. It was such a cold and windy day when we went to the beach. So, this little boy was hiding and staying warm under his mother’s coat. This picture shouts motherhood to me. We are the safe spaces of our children, the people we come to when they are scared, tired or needing a shelter.
GOING BANANAS
This was on a train coming back from a day at the beach. I love all the bananas and this moment of caring for her children. The moment of connection and contact between mother and son. And his little happy face is of course adorable. It encapsulates a fun family outing on a long summers day. I like this image as it is not pretty, but I do feel it shows how beautiful simple everyday moments really are.
CARING HANDS
This photo is full of love and happiness. My favourite thing about this picture is how intimate it feels. It’s such a beautiful moment where mum creams her toddler after his bath time. The enjoyment on the little boy’s face and mother’s hands almost touching his cheek. This is the kind of moment, as a mother, that you want etched in your memories.
THE STYLIST
I really like the quietness of this image. It feels like an unobserved moment. I am also attracted to the light and how the bright window light makes this image more playful.
LEGS
How many legs do you count?
This photo is all about the details. The details of life are the ones that often go unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of living. When I am rushing around juggling getting my shopping, working on my business and parenting at the same time, I often do not pause long enough to take in the small moments. But I think it is actually those details that make life special and are the moments where life takes a breath, and shows its beauty. By looking at the details and taking them in, we can get the feeling of the bigger picture. We can feel this cosy moment with mom on our childhood bed just by looking at these many legs. It is not always necessary to photograph everything.
My Photography Word
I looked at the 5 images and wanted to find 5 feeling words that came to mind by looking at them. These words are a way to define my photography style and find the moments to look out for when I am doing a photography session. The words that came to my mind are: intimate, connected/relational, nostalgic, joyful and quiet. The words I chose are similar to last years ones, the difference being joyful.
My main photography word for 2021 is: Connected
Last year’s main word was intimate, which I almost went for again this year. However, I think I see that I am really drawn to moments that shows a connection between two people. I like to photograph relationships. Even in the branding image ‘The Stylist’ where there is only one person, I still feel that connection between the viewer and Kay who is the woman in the photo. I think that connection in these images is also due to the intimacy of them. However, I still feel this year more drawn to the word: Connection.
I did this exercise together again with my photography friends Anja and Franki. Please have a look at their 5 favourite photographs of 2021 as well. It was so fun to see the images they had chosen and the words that they picked. We all have our own unique way of seeing the world around us and this exercise really brings that to light.
Which words or feelings come up for you when you see my top 5 photographs? I would really love to hear what comes to your mind by telling me in the comments below.
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