The one good day of Summer
The evenings have turned colder and I'm starting to reach for my boots, jumpers, and scarves. I love Autumn. Summer in the U.K. seemed to arrive early and say goodbye quickly. However, there was at least one sunny day during the summer holidays and we made the most of the weather by heading to the beach.
Living in a seaside town I take the beach for granted. I'm normally someone who enjoys walking along the beach as the sun sets and the sky becomes an array of pink, purple and orange. With friends joining us for the day, we slipped sandals onto our feet, gathered buckets and spades, and prepared for a morning of sandy toes and sandcastle competitions.
The tide was out and our friends learned quickly why we affectionately call our town Weston-super-Mud!
Our memories often aren't picture perfect. Life is full of messy moments.
I am drawn to the candid moments. The face of concentration as a child builds the best sandcastle ever. Siblings lost in their own world as they conspire together to dig holes to catch out oblivious passers-by, then watching eagerly to see if anyone falls for their practical joke (spoiler alert: nobody did!). Parents helping their youngest discover the joy of playing in the sea and then rescuing said child when it all gets a bit too much.
I see the wet, sandy footprints on a parent's legs and bum from holding a child on their hip. I notice the clean-this-morning clothes that are now covered in splashes of mud. There are the sandy scalps as sand has been unintentionally flicked in the direction of someone's head. I love capturing these details within photographs. I don't want to see children spotless, with big cheesy smiles for the camera.
I want to see their muddy legs, their bruises from climbing and adventuring. I want to see them welly-deep in puddles. I love the photographs where their personalities show. If they are adventurers, I want to see them climbing trees and exploring. If they are more reserved, I want to watch them in a world of their own playing with their favourite toy. Most importantly, I want to capture the interactions between family members as they spend time together and enjoy each other's company; whether that's at home or on a muddy beach on the one good day of summer.
