Those things we never want to forget.

I keep a keen eye on photography debates and the one that has recently caught my attention is the debate about the need/purpose of detail shots within a wedding album. Are the shots of your wedding shoes, your table centre pieces, bouquet and seating plan really what you want to look back on in 20 years time and remember, or are the people who were at your wedding (as well as how hot you looked in your wedding dress?) all that really matter?! 

Personally, as somebody who loves life's little details, I think there is room for both and I try to offer a good all-round set of images, capturing the details of the day and the people who were there to enjoy it. 

So...this debate lead me to think about memories in general, and those parts of life that we may not consider worthy of photographing but which we might, one day, forget. 

Let me put my musings into context...

My grandma passed away 11 years ago when I was 17. I still have a good memory of her, but my memories have started to fade and there are certain things, even after only 11 years, that I can't picture in my mind anymore. What will I be able to remember in another 11 years?

One thing that I struggle to remember are her hands. I can't picture them anymore. I remember that she always had beautifully painted nails, but I can't picture them in my mind. I wish I had a picture of her hands. 

I also wish I had a picture of her stood in the hallway, combing her hair in front of her mirror with the weird comb that she had. I remember it was weird, but I can't remember what it looked like. I wish I had a picture of her holding her comb. 

I also wish I had a picture of her in her favourite type of slippers (the ones with no toes in). There are many, many more memories I wish I had captured, and this is maybe where my love of details comes from. 

Our family has 100's of photographs from weddings, birthdays, Christmases and holidays and my grandma is featured heavily in those pictures. I would not change these in any way, but these are not my memories, they are pictures of a person posing for the camera. I wish I had some of my memories captured, like I described above. 

So, I thought I would undertake a little personal project, and I have recently taken my first image. 

My beautiful sister-in-law recently got married. The lady in the picture with Kat and Will is Kat's nan, Pauline. Pauline is now also my nan, and I love her as if I had known her my whole life. Because I never had the chance to capture this image with my Grandma, I thought I would do so with Pauline. I'm sure there are many moments her family would love to capture; memories are so personal it would be impossible for me to second guess them. 

This is not so much capturing memories as capturing moments and the details which make up somebody's life, to enable you to remember them forever. 

So, I am setting out on a challenge to capture some moments that in 10, 20, 30 years will enable me to visualise those things which are so important to me know, but which would not have otherwise been captured in a set of 'normal' family photographs. 

What do you remember when you think of a loved one, and are there any moments/details which seemed mundane at the time but you now wish you could visualise?

I'm very excited to see where this personal project takes me. 

L x

A little catch up...

It's been a busy few months and, yet again, I have neglected to update my blog. 

Here is a little sneak peek of what I have been up to, with lots more to following in the next few weeks. 

I got to photograph a gorgeous bride in the most beautiful dress I ever did see...

Then I had some fun photographing something a little bit different...

And then... a very personal wedding. 

Oh...and I hung out with this little lady, a lot!!

And then I treated myself to a new camera! 

L x

Welcome Break - Part 2

As promised, here is Part 2 of my Welcome Break adventures. 

I have neglected my film cameras for a while, so I took advantage of two days of uninterrupted photography and finished off three rolls of film in three different cameras. Despite being with a group of photographers, I was still laughed at for walking around with 4 cameras around my neck.

It was worth the teasing. I was so excited to pick up my prints today; it was Christmas morning level excitement. I was a bit disappointed that the roll in my Diana F+ was really over-exposed and have come out all blue, but the more I look at them the funkier they look! 

Here are a few of my favourites. 

 

L x

Welcome Break - Part 1

Sometimes something just touches your heart and afterwards leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. I never thought I would get this feeling after attending a photography workshop; but then again, I never thought I would attend Emma Case's Welcome Home workshop, which I did last November. I certainly didn't think I would get the feeling after a two day glamping trip in the country; but then again,  I could never have anticipated what an amazingly genuine, down to earth, passionate group of people I would meet. Emma Case's 'homies' are the bloody nicest bunch of people and it was pretty awesome to hang out with them for a few days. 

With our mutual love of photography, Emma and Pete and, as it turns out, food, we all got on like a house of fire and I came away feeling more inspired than I ever have. I am not only inspired to work as hard as I possibly can to achieve what I want to, but also to do the things that I love rather than what I think I should be doing, because it feels so friggin' awesome when what is powering you through the day is the passion in the pit of your stomach and not the thought of the clock hitting 5.30pm. 

The venue for the Welcome Break was Talton Lodge, which I described as 'farmyard heaven' and which certainly lived up to its name. The accommodation was amazing (they have tipis, yurts, a boat in a tree and a barn) and the food was to die for; my stomach had stretched the size of the small yurt by the time I left. 

To most people's amusement, I had four cameras with me, one digital and three film. The images I shot on my film cameras will follow next week...I'm so excited to go and pick them up on Monday! 

This is what we got up to.

Thanks for being awesome guys. 
L X