30/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Matilda: She has decided that it is time to learn how to read and write. I thought we would wait until she started Kindy next year, but the questions are coming thick and fast. So I guess now is the time. We are answering her questions and supporting her with information when she requests it. Orlando is LOVING being her one-on-one tutor. She is soaking it all in like a sponge that has been waiting for the good stuff. Round 2... here we come!

Orlando: His physical confidence is taking leaps and bounds. He is challenging himself to go places he would have previously shied away from. Rocks and trees are his climbing frame of choice. He declares "I think my boots would let me climb anything, they are great!" I reminded him that although his boots are great it is HIM doing the climbing, not his boots :)

Pair: Taking in the grand-ness of the beautiful rock we chose for our morning tea. Nothing makes you feel quite as tiny, than the giant-ness of the natural world.

Joining with Jodi

29/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Orlando: The beanie Nan knitted him has FINALLY been accepted as 'wearable'. I think it is just beautiful. He is really wanting to be photographed at the moment, which is a lovely change.

Matilda: I love the head tilted in consideration. Is that REALLY snow I can see up on the hill? Did people REALLY live in a house as old as this one?

Pair: School holidays provide the perfect time for re-connection. These two are really enjoying each others company at the moment and playing for hours at a time. Enough to make a Mumma's heart sing :)

Joining with Jodi

Beauty in Black and White

The end of the school holidays has come too soon, we need another week at least. 

Today we donned the downs and went-a-walking...

There is something beautifully classic and simple about black and white photography. 

No colours to mix it up and confuse it, just the beauty in the details. 

Beauty in the tones and contrasts. 

In the shadows.

Beauty in the positive and negative spaces. 

We had a day full of beauty. 

Beauty in bush, granite tors, streams, and SNOW!

All beautiful, 

all contrasting, 

all unique.

Natural Beauty

I had a rare 'spare' day. So my girl and I went exploring. Although it is late in Autumn, the sky was clear and the sun was shining. It was BEAUTIFUL! 

I love exploring with children as they see beauty everywhere. Things that my adult mind sees as a weed, messy or misses completely, they see.

Matilda and I have made a deal. If she sees something special, I'll photograph it for her. Leave it in its home for others to enjoy and we will take home the photograph.

Today her eyes were particularly attuned to fungus - we keep the terms mushroom and fungus quite separate to avoid confusion. Mushrooms = in the fridge and we eat them. Fungus = outside and where you are likely to find fairies living - look but don't touch.

Visiting Grandma

My Mum lives in a beautiful place. For us, it is close to a 6 hr drive which is a little too far to visit as regularly as we would like.

We seized the opportunity school holidays provided and went for a visit.

We moved slowly, as holidays should. We walked in the rain, made boats in streams, picked and ate more citrus than the buckets could hold, explored finding fungus and pondering how cow pats have patterns, maybe even searching for a remaining blackberry. I knitted. took MANY photos and played guitar, the fire was on and although it was drizzly outside, inside was always warm and toasty.

Orlando and Matilda love going to visit their Grandma and Pah Pah. Orlando said "I'm excited about Grandma's because we can just stay at home and do all the things that make life fun"

We really should put the effort in to go more frequently...

14/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Orlando: Any change in the garden and he is out there looking, finding, scavenging and exploring

Matilda: 'Elsa' from Frozen... "This is her angry, scared magic face"

Pair: Beach behaviour - He investigates, she smears herself with sand, both pure happiness

Joining with Jodi

12/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Orlando: He was full of pride over being in the boat, had a real sense of adventure about him.

Matilda: A-top a log taking in the early morning breeze and the stunning landscape we were immersed in.

Pair: When out bush they become best friends. So much to explore together.

Joining with Jodi

1/52

I've been a little undecided about if I was going to embark on this project again this year... I enjoyed it last year and LOVE having the years worth of portraits, but I think the mixture of the weekly commitment and how hectic last year was for us made it all a little stressful. This year will be slower. So I have decided to embark again see where it goes. I will also have a little more brain power to give this space, which should mean that I can post more often and add a little more 'meat' to the sandwich.

I've also decided that this year I will aim to add a 'group shot' of the two of them and their relationship as when I looked through last years photos and thought about separating them into two different book I became aware that I was pulling apart a shared experience. This year their books will have themselves and the group shots, showing casing the deep importance of their relationship.

So here we go for another year!

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Orlando: He is growing, his teeth are moving, his body is getting strong, athletic and fast.

Matilda: Complete trust when it comes to extreme maneuvers and her Daddy. Such Joy.

Pair: Fishing with Poppy, many hopes, lots of waiting, always better with a friend.

Joining with Jodi

Through her eyes...

I was taking photos the other day (as you do) and Matilda asked me if she could have a turn.



I paused... my precious camera... sure you can... stay here with me though!







So I transferred the strap to her neck, showed her how to move in and out, how to focus and said - 

"You can take 10 photos... make them precious ones"

and she did! 






I was rather taken with her view of the world, her composition and thought. 

She loved it. 

It inspired us to give her a camera of her own, a second hand one that she could experiment with, away from my watchful eye... she had a birthday coming up and so we did!

















I am sure their are plenty of 'selfies' and random blury shots to come, but I love the idea of children being able to document their world, through their eyes. A sneak peak into their thinking and what is important to them. I await the 'first download' to see what treasures we have :)