The Gallery: World Photography Day

August 19 was World Photography Day‘.  In celebration of the amazing world of photography  Tara, at ‘Sticky Fingers’, asked us to take a photograph on that day, or over the weekend, for week 71 of ‘The Gallery’. She said,

“Make it a photo to treasure for generations to come; family life, a moment, a precious family member frozen in time, a day out.

Let’s remember how bloody brilliant photographs are. Go that extra mile and really try to take a cracker. Then show it off here.”

Well, we had one of those amazing weekends where we took hundreds of photographs. For me to choose one photograph was very hard (see my posts on our weekend here and here and you’ll see why!).

In the end I chose this one of our youngest daughter Alice, 18 months old, and staring at her reflection in a stream of water.

I chose to digitally play with the photograph (because I can!) and also because that is part of photography in this day and age. I chose to focus on Alice and her reflection; drawing attention to that which holds her gaze.

The toddler years are, simultaneously, wonderful and challenging. This was a moment that summed up both of those. 

It was a sunny, winter’s day. The water very cold, the sun sinking down behind a hill, the air temperature cool. Maybe not so wise a moment for wet play and exploration, but how would I explain that to Alice? She was so happily engrossed in the water’s ebb and flow with the tide, the seaweed swaying in the gentle current, her reflection staring back at her, that she had no concern for the cold.

I let her play for a while and enjoyed watching her revel in the moment. The warm car was close by and the drive to home not far. When it was time to go she told me she was uncomfortable, ‘Wet! Suit!’ and off it came. She rode home in nappy and t-shirt, but didn’t mind. She’d chosen exploration and discovery over comfort, and who was I to disagree?!