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FAMILY LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY

OUTDOORS

summer grasses, sunlight, brother and sister playing in the field together

family snuggles in the summer fields

FAMILY -AT SUNSET-SOUTHAMPTON

family having fun under blanket

family cuddles at golden hour in a field

sunset family photo shoot

relaxed family photogrspher southampton, hampshire -1-8

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e: hello@carleyaplin.com

Time Time is one of those funny things isn’t it

Time

Time is one of those funny things isn’t it.? It goes by too fast or sometimes it goes by to slow. A weeks in the sun ?! That’s never long enough is it ? Yet a week being overdue the baby feels like a month or more.

When you’re living a moment it can feel never-ending. The night feed when your two-month old baby will not settle back to sleep. You’ve been up for hours willing them back to sleep. Versus a few joy filled hours with some of your best friends, laughing and telling stories ? That can pass by in the blink of an eye.

I don’t think I’ll fully get my head around how time works. What I do know though is that we miss it when it’s gone. Yes, even those long nights when you’re up rocking relentlessly crying babies. I miss those nights. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want them every night. But to be able go back to it for just one day? I’d take that in an instant.To hold them just a little tighter, to breathe them in just a little longer, to enjoy the moment. To be able to record it in some way, to have it forever. Knowing I have something that will transport me back in time. There is not an amount of money that I wouldn’t pay for that.

Is there a period of time that you would go back to be able to capture now that you wish you had? I have so many, years of regret that I didn’t learn how to capture my children as babies and I don’t invest in my own families memories. I think we’ll forget how important photographs really are. In the event of a fire most people would grab their family and then the photographs... doesn’t that just tell you how important capturing memories really are!

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#capturethemoment
#talesofthemoment
#timeisprecious

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#documentyourdays #oureverydaymoments #magicofchildhood #family #lifestylephotographer #documentingmotherhood #littlepiecesofchildhood #familyphotography #thesearethedays #motherhood #hellostoryteller #newbornphotoshootsouthampton #dearphotographer #thefamilynarrative #theeverydayportrait #thebeautifulreal #dearestviewfinder #nothingisordinary #lifestylephotography #thehonestlens #theheartcaptured #babyboy #heartofhome #lovelysquares #boymom #magicofchildren #lookslikefilmkids

In just a few short hours it would’ve been four

In just a few short hours it would’ve been four years since we welcomed this little guy into the world. Well, really he flew into our lives but that is a whole other story we’ll save for another day 🧡

I always knew that this milestone was going to be hard. My last baby, who will always be my in my eyes my baby. But I didn’t have this pang of sadness when my others hit four. In fact I waved them off with flags once they reached that ripe old age and could start school.

I think as his mama it’s hard to know that the baby stage is over. There will be no more , I’m done. I have 3 happy and healthy children snd I don’t think I’d have pushed my luck ( or kept my sanity)

I have lost count the amount of times I wished days away in the last few years. How I longed for the times when I could put him down and walk away. For times when he would sleep through the night and the times when he wouldn’t need me to do so much. We all wish these times away in the moment but within a few short months we all wish we could stop time.

Being a mother is a rollercoaster of emotions at times. I am not really sure what the point of this post this. I felt like I should mark this day with some of my thoughts. Plus, I couldn’t really resist posting this one of my favourite portraits of him ... swipe left to see those infamous cheeks of his 🧡

Anyone else found 4 was an emotional age with their last?

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#4thbirthday
#lastbaby
#sadmama
#birthdayboy💙
#4today
#lockdownbirthday
#lookslikefilmkids
#thisdetailedlife
#phlocklive
#faceportrait
#myson
#mumtogs
#capturethemoment

We’ve had a very open chat recently about self p

We’ve had a very open chat recently about self portraits amongst photographers and the importance of documenting and being present in photos.

It got me thinking about documenting our lives more even when our children may not even be part of them yet.

Maternity photos are one of these things that risk falling too the category of “ a little self-indulgent? “ Many women don’t opt to document this time for fear of it being seen excessive or unnecessary. They wait until it’s too late, then wishing they’d done it.

I’m a little obsessed with pregnancy (on other women - I hated it myself😅) I think that in another life I may well have been a midwife. Or maybe me if my career in photography didn’t take the path it did its would’ve been something I considered retraining in. Funnily enough lots of photographers are actually ex-midwives that have change their careers. I guess that makes sense, we all are clearly drawn to serving pregnant women and their babies.

Seeing another woman grow with a small human growing is one of the most incredible things the document. It’s part of your history and you are creating life. Life that will go on to shape the world in some way.

Maternity photography wasn’t really a thing when I was pregnant with my first child and although became more popular as the years have gone on I didn’t very have a shoot. It’s something I regret, I never had this time documented and I wish I did.

Now that my child bearing years are well and truly behind me ( yes I’m definitely done 🤪) I have time and hindsight to show me that I missed out. Yes, I have selfies, I even have some very bad self portraits I took when I didn’t really know what I was doing but I wish I had a few beautiful images of me. How empowered i would feel. Being able to show my children snd grandchildren those would have been incredible.

I want women to embrace this time in their lives. I want to document it whether that’s at sunset or in the case of this beautiful mummy to be at home cuddled up on the sofa. It’s the most special time and deserves to be celebrated.

Double tap and let me know below if you wish you’d had some images taken whilst you were pregnant! .

@carley_aplin