Like most things in my life, I could never have predicted that I would end up falling in love with portrait photography.
I became serious about photography after my sister gifted me my first DSLR in Christmas 2015. For me, photography was all about dirt roads, sunrises, gum trees, big skies, and misty silent moments. Capturing early morning moments kept me sane and I strived to #startthedaywithsomethingbeautiful.
I used to say that I hated taking photos of people. Though, if I am completely honest, I didn’t hate taking photos of people, taking photos of people just terrified me.
Gradually over time, I started taking photos of people and those moments started talking to me as much as those early morning moments on impossibly beautiful dirt roads.
During the latter part of 2022, I was hankering for a personal project that was just for me. Not for the shop, or work, but just for me. I wanted to challenge myself to shoot daily, using my lens to capture more personal moments and get out of my comfort zone which was dirt roads and sunrises. I wanted something that would have me shooting daily, shooting through the drudgery, finding beauty in the most ordinary moments, and constantly showing up, even on the occasions I didn’t feel like it.
I was increasingly aware of how precious the moments are that I have with Archie, Rissie, Kevin, and Rosie. When I began this project, on the 1st of November 2022, there were 1157 days remaining until the end of Archie and Rissie’s final year of secondary schooling. When they finish school, I know they will be flying the coop and pursuing their own grown-up dreams and adventures.
With my project, I wanted to create a time capsule so to speak, with the idea of putting these special, ordinary moments into a book for Archie and Rissie to keep with them forever. My project was called “One day, one moment” and for 1157 days my goal is to take a daily photo. To record a tiny daily moment for the duration. 1157 days of holding on, letting go. My salute to this very special phase of motherhood.
As I enter my 8th month of this project, I am blown away by how much I love it and how much it has changed the direction of what I want to do.
It has made me fall in love with portrait photography because every face tells a unique story that is ours and ours alone and every story should be celebrated.
xxLara
Beauty, hope, joy, & inspiration
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