Tuesday 1 May 2012

I Spy - Capturing Childhood


picture courtesy of Capturing Childhood.co.uk

Life has its moments. Happy, sad, joyous, beautiful and funny. When life is full of children these moments are multiplied and you'll want to capture them all. To keep, to remember, to reflect upon and to treasure for always.

I try to capture as many of these moments as I can of my family, be it a day at the seaside or an afternoon playing at home, one of the girls fallen asleep in a tub of Lego half way through their building, as many honest moments as I can. Each moment that passes is a window of our lives together. A window i'd like to look back through every once in a while. 

My skills as a photographer are 'point, click and hope for the best'. Though sometimes this can result in a wonderful image I am all too often frustrated that I can't capture the moments as beautifully, skillfully and confidently as i'd like.

This is why at 1.50pm on Saturday 28th April I was sitting at my computer ready to pounce on a opportunity to learn more. I signed up for a 6 week photography e-course . With places limited nothing was going to keep me from embarking on the journey.

Capturing Chidhood is a new adventure set forth by two very talented women, both mothers of three, both bloggers, both inspired to take pictures of their everyday lives and passionate to help us take another look at our children though the lens of the camera.

Having already fallen in love with their inspiring and honest blogs (both blogs are in my top ten daily fixes) I know these will be two great teachers (and perhaps an opportunity to ask if I could be adopted into their families).
Kat Goldin '...lives by the motto that life is too short to match socks and will often be be stepping over piles of laundry or leaning over a tower of dirty dishes to get that perfect shot. Her children don't recognise her without her Canon 7d DSLR in front of her face and balls of yarn in her pockets.' Kat Goldin blogs at Slugs on the Refrigerator with work featured by Ideal Homes, Etsy's Spring 2012 Lookbook, Parenting Magazine, Inside Crochet and is currently working on her first book with Kyle Books. If this lady can find time to teach me I can find time to learn!

Kat Molesworth ...'...a professional childcare provider who spends her days encouraging and recording the development of the children she cares for.' ...'If you asked Kat why she is taking so many pictures she would tell you they are her messages to the future.' Kat Molesworth, a finalist in the Mad Blog Awards 2011 for photography and again up for the Award this year, blogs at Housewife Confidential . This Kat or should I say @thatkat also works as features and travel editor at Bambino Goodies, and her photography has been featured in the product photography for Kitschy Coo, as well as Bambino Goodies and Anorak Magazine. Yep she's quite a gal!

Collect the Moments is the first of the e-courses on offer at Capturing Childhood : 'It is not about having a fancy camera or expensive editing equipment. It is about using the tools you have at hand to take the best pictures possible of your children. And more than that, it is about inspiring you to think differently about capturing childhood'.
The course includes: Weekly blog posts on a password protected blog, weekly assignments to help you dig deeper into that weeks topic, Discussions and (optional) photo- sharing through a private Flickr group and an eBook to take away when the course is finished for future reference.

These e-courses are a genius idea, especially for those with busy lifestyles who can't commit to an evening course each week. You can follow at your own pace and you'll never be late for a lesson!

Whatever the reason, whatever your skill, whatever time you have the courses will inspire you to 'take a different look at your approach to recording family life through pictures and film.'

If we are the sum total of all the events in our lives, from our first tastes and first steps, the summer play in the garden running under the hosepipe, our first day at school, the mismatch outfits we scramble together (still not much better at this) and the friends that surround us as we grow up. If each day the events, big or small, the everyday occurrence and the remarkable, shape us into who we become and the people who touch us leave their print in our memories in this way then not only are we part creators of our children but we are theirs and the photographs we have of these moments shared are the stories that we will never forget. They are the biographies of our life. Be sure you capture it as best you can.

I am so excited and ready to switch off the automatic to learn to focus once again and capture each moment.












This is part of our new 'I Spy' blog features where we bring you a view of something we've fallen in love with. We also have our Monday Makery with ideas for things to make, bake and create.
Our other popular blogposts include 'The story behind our collections', 'Tell us its Tuesday' , An A-Z of Sisters Guild, a collection of images that depict the words we feel celebrate all that is Sisters Guild. The Art of Living posts bring you all the things and places we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas, and our 'Once upon a week' gives you a glimpse into life behind the scenes at Sisters Guild. 
If you would like to contribute to our blog by guest blogging a makery or a place or event of interest please do contact us we'd love to share your voice too.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

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