I have known Helena for quite a few years, we met when I moved back up to Leeds nearly 10 years ago and have kept in touch since. I was so happy when Helena messaged to say she’d love to be a part of the project. As photographers you are never really in the pictures (except for the ones where you ask if your husband can take a picture and he somehow manages to make you look like a potato) so getting some pictures of Helena and Eden together would be a really nice for Helena to look back on.
Eden is 20 months and I’ve got to say one of my favourite ages, not quite in full tantrum stage but excited and happy to be playing and causing chaos and mischief where they can.
When I first arrived I was greeted with a sight familiar to my own home - toys pulled out the cupboards, dinosaurs scattered on the table and instruments out ready for when that creativity hits. Eden is wandering around in her nappy and jumper and showing me dinosaurs and roaring with each one she picks up.
As this is only the second shoot in the series, Im still trying to work out how this project is going to look. Im wondering if I need to do a bit of an interview or if I let the conversation naturally unfold… One thing that is at the front of my mind is not wanting the images to be a ‘family shoot’, one that looks too cheesy and smiley but perhaps more editorial in style.
We take some pictures in the living room in various places, I love the shots of them both on the sofa, reading a book, Eden with a maraca in hand and other various toys on the table in front. The light by the window is lovely so we take some there too, Eden showing her mum a bit of twig that she found outside.
We then head in to the front garden, Eden is playing with a toy snake, I take a few pictures and love this one shot I got where Helena is just quietly observing Eden. I feel like every mother goes through these moments daily where you’re just sat watching and waiting, the often tedium that goes with mothering this age and I feel this image really encapsulates that.
We chat about breastfeeding and night weaning and how hard it is, juggling being freelance and childcare. Most of our conversations are half finished and there’s lots of ‘oh I was talking about ‘this’ earlier but didn’t finish what I was saying’ and lots of pauses to roar along with Eden.
Looking back on these images Im really pleased with what I’ve captured, a different energy to the ones I took of Amy and Molly and that one image of Helena sat looking at Eden has given me a bit more direction with what I may be looking for in the portraits I am taking for this project. I also know that I am definitely overthinking the shots rather than intuitively taking them how I would usually photograph a set of portrait images for a commission…
I’d love to know your thoughts on the project so far, would you like to read more about the conversation we have on mothering?
Thanks to Helena and Eden for being a part of this project
