illuminated

I've recently discovered a podcast called The Family Photographer, which I am finding very inspiring. One of the episodes I listened to this week gave this advice on how to take a good photo: find someone you love, find some great light, get in close and take the photo. Another piece of advice was to capture your surroundings because they change so much over time, and in the years to come, you'll be glad that you've captured the small things which change and evolve. Ruby starts school next year, so we are in the season of visiting lots of local schools. I took this photo just after we had come home from our fourth school visit. Ruby sat at her table and quietly started writing. I loved the way the light illuminated her hair and right hand so grabbed my camera to capture the moment. (I can't decide whether I prefer the photo with her hair or her hand in focus.) The light on Ruby's face was filtered through the stained glass in our kitchen door, which creates these small shards of light, mid morning. In the new year, we will be doing some building work which will require moving this door and removing the window that the light is coming through, so I know ahead of time that this photo is only possible to take now, at this time of year with the low Autumn light, before we make changes to our house. This is just a simple, every day moment but I love it and I know that in the years to come, it is this kind of photo that I will treasure that captures little details of our lives. I know that I will also want to remember what the message was that Ruby was writing: 'It says, Dear Mummy, I hope you 'joy my brilliant writing. Love from Ruby.' At the moment, every card or letter that Ruby writes or draws has this same message with just the name of the recipient changing and I love it that she sees all her handiwork as 'brilliant'.