Above: Edie in the sea in her swim ring, on North Stradbroke Island.
When I post my regular segment ‘Weekend in Pictures’ to my friends over on instagram, I receive so many comments and messages from people with regrets.
For context my ‘Weekend in Pictures’ that I share is a personal photo diary, like a family album, of what we get up to most weekends, at home, as a family.
Left: Edie, Alby and I, in the moment and feeling the joy of being together / Right: Edie and Alby.
The regrets they reveal to me are about not capturing their own children’s childhood.
They think they can’t take a photograph, or life is just too hectic, that they don’t see the little everyday ordinary moments – which are often the moments we yearn for the most as our children grow older. Or they believe that their children are just ‘too old now’ for such nostalgia, and this makes them feel sad.
Above: Film isn’t perfect, sometimes the colours won’t be what you are expecting, but that’s actually one of the things I love most about it.
I completely understand those regrets; they are real and they hurt.
We all want to hold onto these memories for as long as possible and having photographs of our loved ones have such sentimental significance. They really mean the world.
When I reply to each of these messages, I always say the same thing – just start photographing now, start now. You won’t regret it, it’s never too late.
Above: Alby, diving for the first time on North Stradbroke Island.
Pick up a camera and start capturing what’s in front of you.
You only get 1 summer of a baby, 3 of a toddler, 9 of a child and 5 of a teen. so each season matters so much more than we realise.
We are further through this than we think.
Above: Us, not perfect, but still us. I love it.
And try to make sure you are in the photographs too!
I know, I know, Motherhood feels brutal on our appearances and energy, but this isn’t about beauty or having the perfect body, it’s about recording these moments to cherish and hold on to before they fade away.
Left: One of our favourite swimming spots on the island, Deadman’s in the afternoon / Right: Edie and Alby, Edie wearing my hat.
So this is why I have intentionally chosen to get back in touch with my analogue self. Come the weekend, I put my phone away in a drawer for a few hours and reach for my film camera to document our home life.
Above: A film photograph from a while back when Edie and Alby were much smaller. Time goes so fast.
Photographing on film feels very freeing and so quiet.
There isn’t any pressure for perfection, and there isn’t the distraction of looking at the back of the camera immediately or of sharing it from your phone straight to Instagram, where all the noise is.
It’s slow and personal, and keeps you in the moment for longer with those you love.
Above: An imperfect family shot, which I really love. It’s real, with water splashes on the lens and closed eyes, it feels familiar to the family photographs from when I was younger.
I thought you might like to have a go yourself. It’s very easy.
I know what you are thinking – but you are a photographer Kara, of course you make this look easy. But honestly, when I capture my children I’m not a photographer, I’m just another mother capturing her children. I’m not doing anything fancy. I’m pointing and shooting.
I bought an inexpensive, basic secondhand camera from Etsy, it’s one I can take in the water too.
It’s a Canon AS from the 1990’s. It doesn’t have lots of settings – literally a point and shoot camera. You could even try disposable cameras. Just as long as they are simple to use. This way I can ask a stranger to take a shot of us or Edie and Alby can take a shot.
Try Etsy, or eBay for 90’s cameras, or even the op shop. Find something you feel comfortable just throwing in a bag and not being precious about.
Above: Alby on his new boogie board from Santa.
I load it with Kodak 400 iso film, as Kodak generally gives you warmer tone photographs, which I love.
Above: Edie and Timothy O playing on the shore.
The most important thing is being in the moment.
Above: Edie and Alby in their floaty rings. Next summer they won’t be in these fun rings anymore.
Not every shot will work out, sometimes something strange might happen to the light or the colours of the film will be wacky, perhaps the angles won’t be flattering, but that’s ok, that’s the nature of the freedom of film.
You aren’t striving for perfection, you are striving to be present.
Above: Alby underwater with his dive mask on. He is obsessed with being underwater and seeing all the sealife of the island.
I tell myself this thing, that when I’m older I want my hallway console to be filled with small silver photo frames of these real moments. The moments I can never get back.
Above: Alby and I, photographed by Edie.
Above: Edie and I, at Adder Rock. North Stradbroke Island.
When you have the films developed and the prints come back, it’s like unlocking a time capsule, a time capsule of your life.
Have a go, do it for your future self.
I promise you won’t regret it.
Kara x
