A few of my favourite things

Just about all children have them: a favourite story, a favourite pair of shoes, or a favourite blanket. Who knows why they choose the things that they do. Sometimes it doesn’t make any sense and sometimes the levels to which they take their affections can make us cringe. Stories of stinky, tattered threads of blankies that aren’t allowed to be washed, or the wearing of rainboots around the clock, or mac and cheese for every meal resonate with most mothers—we have all been there. All the same, these favourite things can be an important part of our photographic experience, especially if they make our children happy, whether or not they’re cute.

Capturing the mundane, or even the not-so-delightful, things that are a part of our daily lives is important. We can’t wait for our kids to outgrow them… until they do. And we forget. So remember to photograph the objects of your childrens’ affections. Your images will help you see the more endearing and even photo-worthy side of nearly everything. It’s part of the gift of photography. Eventually, these images will bring back a bittersweet recollection of days past.

Favourite outfits

How our kids dress and how they choose to accessorize can reveal a lot about them. Even from a young age, children seem to gravitate to certain types of clothes or accessories. It can be humorous, endearing, and often annoying, but these are the things they grow out of (quite literally, when clothes are concerned), so the moments pass far more quickly than you might think.

Fun and games

No matter how many toys and games are littering your house, there will always be a favourite few that your children prefer. With each stage of development comes a new favourite toy or activity. Day after day, our children pull out the same toy bin, line up the same barnyard animals, build with the same Lego.
As your children grow and begin to turn their attentions beyond your four walls, the documentation can slow, or sometimes cease altogether. Although we are often totally immersed in our children’s activities, we don’t always think to make a record of these interests and how they influence our daily lives. Remember that you’re the archivist, so stand back and ask yourself what it is about the activity that draws your children. Then look for the visual symbols that represent it.

It can be easy to photographically overlook the favorites of our older children. Skateboards aren’t nearly as endearing as stuffed bears, but the inclinations of our kids as they transition into tweens and then teens can offer windows onto what they might enjoy for their entire adult life. Supporting these interests not only keeps you connected to your child—you could be fostering something that may remain relevant in the future and that future will be here before you know it!

The absolute favourite

Sometimes children will form a bond that’s seemingly unbreakable with a particular object: maybe a blanket, or perhaps a stuffed bunny. These are sorts of things that you’ll really want to capture, no matter if you think that the bond can never be broken. One day, it will.

To capture the truest story of your child and their favourite, the shots that will be most cherished are those moments caught in context. How your child holds the blanket, how he rubs it or twists it around his finger; how she snuggles with her bunny, or smells it. Whatever the case, work to gather a collection of images caught in everyday life, the kind that will remind you of how your child’s days were spent with the object of affection.

In Elevate the Everyday, Tracey Clark shows how each day of our lives is full of potential for great photography. Focusing on the moments that are most precious to us, she offers a host of inspirational ideas enabling the reader’s photographic achievements to grow, turning the incidents in a family’s life – arrivals, departures, childhood, and parties – into beautiful, captivating images that will stand the test of time. Most of all, learn to turn the ordinary and everyday into the extraordinary with this unique guide to picturing motherhood.
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Elevate the Everyday by Tracey Clark
£6.99, Download the PDF now!
This PDF version retains the styling of the original print book.
RRP for print edition: £17.99
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