Its fair to say that my memory these days is pretty terrible.
I can walk into a room and forget why I went in there in the first place; someone can ask me whether I had a good weekend and by Tuesday I struggle to remember what I did, and I would be completely lost without my phone and the countless reminders and lists I make for myself.
I am not sure whether almost nine years later, I can still blame it on baby-brain; whether it’s the permanent state of exhaustion I find myself in or the fact I have about eleven-million things going on inside my brain at any one time.
But when it comes to my childhood, I am lucky enough to remember quite a bit…
I remember the yellow and blue swing-set we had as we were growing up...how I would hook my legs over the side and hang upside down, scaring the life out of my Mum who was sure I would fall on my head.
I remember my first ‘proper’ bike with its red and white basket...how I learned to ride it at the garage block behind our house and how I would take all my toys for a ride just like my Daughter does now.
I remember the way our childhood home looked when we first moved in; the brown walls, the rather-fetching carpets and how the top half of the garden was so overgrown you could get lost in it.
And I remember a lot of this because my parents took photos.
They took photos of everything.
They didn’t just save the camera for the big moments. Of course, they captured the first day of school, the excitement on Christmas morning, the cheesy grins and birthday cakes, but they also took photos of our everyday, ordinary moments too.
And these are the photographs I treasure the most.
To this day I still ask my Dad to get the ‘old photos’ down from the loft. I love to look at them. They make me smile.
They tell me the stories of my childhood.
They tell me what our home looked like.
They remind me how I would squeeze into the armchair to read with my Dad.
They spark memories of the lounge where I would sit for hours playing Barbies with my Mum in front of the fireplace, brushing their hair and getting them ready for the ball.
They remind me of sunny afternoons playing with my Brother in the garden while our Grandparents watched on from their stripy deck chairs.
They remind me of all of the things which make me who I am today.
I have no idea how much I would remember about my childhood without these images, but I do realise how lucky I am that my parents decided to capture these seemingly 'insignificant' moments.
When you think back to the childhood photographs you have...
Which ones are your favourites?
Which photographs do you spend the most time studying?
Which are the photographs which make you feel something and take you straight back to that moment so you know exactly where you were and what you were doing?
I bet they are similar to mine.
This is one of the reasons why I place such importance on the 'in-between' moments.
Don't get me wrong, a pretty picture is great. Shots with everyone looking and smiling at the camera are lovely and we should definitely take those too. Our children will love to see how their faces have changed over time, how much they have grown and have memories of the happy times you spent together.
But there is something so special about the ordinary moments.
These are the images which show your family right in this moment.
These are the images that capture your personalities and relationships as they are now.
These are the photographs which will make you say “Do you remember when…”
If you have been thinking about a family session and are waiting for the right time, don't wait for the 'big' moments, every day is special and worth documenting. I will happily come and photograph you at home or at a place which has meaning to you as a family. Get in touch, I would love to chat. x
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