“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards” – I have practically grown up with these wise words by Soeren Kirkegaard, but they have never been more true to me than now…

A common criticism of my type of photography is that it isn’t “real”. Our children aren’t perfectly colour coordinated, sitting still, holding hands, with perfect smiles! They have often dressed themselves, (making you feel slightly embarrassed as you whisk them through Sainsbury’s), with snotty noses and an agenda all of their own which only rarely collides with yours. I am acutely aware that I have invested huge effort chasing the perfect picture for my customers, this was me living life forward setting aims for perfection. However, I have now had 6 full years to understand, retrospectively, what it is actually like being a mum! A few years ago I became more aware of this aim for perfection and to counter act it in some way I started shooting more personal and “real” pictures of my own two boys… I call these images “a day in the life of…” because they are just quick documentations of every day life with my little ones. They are a far cry from perfect, but the more they grow up, the more I treasure these little time capsules. It isn’t just about seeing them grow up, it is also about the toys they had, the clothes they wore, their drawings and general development, it’s all in the details!

I am just a mum with a camera, and my boys are probably the most photographed kids in Europe, but I highly recommend you set your self a similar project. Take some good solid pictures of everyday life with your kids, because sooner than you know they will be off to school! Secondly, do something with those images, put them in a book or collect them in a personal blog, just somehow collect them, so you can enjoy them. Here are some of my favourites, and I am going to post these more regularly which might inspire. My only regret is not starting this project sooner…