A simple morning at home, marking the first year milestone in little T’s life by celebrating his favourite everyday activities.
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extended family
When I say that this film speaks for itself, I mean that in an almost literal sense. Video can be so much more than just a picture with motion - it has the ability to bring back memories of all your senses, through the addition of audio and an edit geared towards storytelling.
Little Spencer's family could not be a more perfect showcase of this. Their unbridled affection for each other and the new family addition (and for their sweet dogs), expressed openly through talking about their feelings and hopes, makes this little film completely about them, and completely theirs. Watch it with the volume turned up - I think that it will surprise you, even if you are familiar with the genre of documentary-style family photography. Let me know what you think, and if you'd like a little film for your own family, please get in touch and let's brainstorm!
Sometimes I come away from a session giving myself virtual high fives and pats on the back because heck, I know I aced it. This extended family session in Katong was not an example. I remember feeling anxious as I left because I knew that it should look amazing - a rambling house awash with morning light, characterfully decorated and filled with family members of diverse ages all ready to celebrate the recent arrival of a baby girl. I worried that I had focused too much on the house or hadn't incorporated it enough; that I had taken too few images of the baby because there was so much else happening that morning; that no matter what I had done, the images wouldn't be as great as this wonderful family deserved.
I remember sitting down to edit the photos and first feeling a huge sense of relief, then a sense of wonder at the opportunities I have to truly enter clients' homes and lives for a brief window of time. I observed the McGs for only two hours, but looking back at the images, I realised how much they had trusted me with unfettered access to their home and daily routines. They played, laughed, teased, fussed, comforted, rested and enjoyed each other's company without any artifice for the camera. They spoke to me honestly and shared their stories, their family heirlooms, their private moments. I saw many types of love and affection in that one morning - both loud and quiet, vigorous and gentle, playful and nurturing. And in the centre of it all, there was mum, happy to step back but always there when needed. Thank you for having me.
