Romanticising Home Life | pt. 9

I often tell myself little white lies...

Romanticising Home Life is a photography and short form written series where I romanticise an aspect of my life, usually with my children involved. It’s encouraging me to get creative with my camera and capture my homelife in way that reminds me of the happy memories when I look back on this time, living in this house. We are here for a short time before moving on again with no friends and minimal family support. It’s a hard time that I want to remember with love during the first few months as a family of 4.

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Looking at this photo I want to say “wow, look how far you’ve come in this challenge. Look at the quality of this photo compared to the first one”. But it was never about that. It was about getting my camera out, documenting our time here in a way that makes me look back with nostalgia and a focus on the good times, and practicing some different styles and edits wherever possible. In saying that though, I’m proud of how this photo turned out.

This is possibly one of the most candid photos I’ve taken as part of this series simply because it was never supposed to exist. Usually I get the camera out with the intention of capturing a photo for this series. I set it up and then let life happen in front of the lense. But this time I already had the camera out as I was taking self portraits.
I was mid packing, the light started to hit the wall in the most beautiful way, so I dropped everything and set the tripod up. I already had both kids in the room “helping me” pack so naturally they were there when I took the photos too. I told myself I had time, and that it would only take 5 minutes. I often tell myself little white lies. It helps me to get started on something that would otherwise seem huge or unachievable at the time. Roo had his camera out as well and moved between me and destroying the room around me with toys and emptying the office drawers (it’s worth it, letting him play with things he’s normally not allowed to, or so I tell myself). He kept wandering off to play with something and then he’d toddle over to me and say “mama” and give me a big cuddle. I’d ask for a little bit longer and he’d go off again.
During one of these cuddles I thought to just snap a photo, instead of getting frustrated that he was in the frame again and slowing me down, I thought I’d capture it instead. And I ended up with this photo. It reminds me of other artists I’ve seen or read about where they involve their children in their art in less intentional ways, such as when they scribble across their painting, or colour their drawing in. This wasn’t an intentional photo with my son, which I think is what makes it that much more beautiful.

This series will be coming to and end soon as we pack up our home and get ready to go on our next adventure. I may pick it back up again sometime in the future but I don’t know when we will have a home next!
There is a new mini series coming though and it is photographs I’ve taken that are inspired by paintings. If you have any suggestions of art you’d love to see me recreate, please let me know in the comment section.

And if you have enjoyed this series, please share it as it helps others to find and delight in my photos and words too.