It’s my birthday next week, and for some time now I’ve felt drawn by the idea of doing a photo a day from my iPhone. And given it will be my last year in my thirties (gasp!) I thought it would be kind of neat to document this stage of my life, day by day, in even the tiniest of ways. I’ve been tossing ideas back and forth, mostly rejecting them as being too hard or too cliche. But I stumbled across a quote the other day that instantly struck a chord with me, and I knew that’s what I wanted to base this year’s memories on.
“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a general interest in all the details of daily life.” William Morris.
The details. You know, the little things that run into one another and eventually merge to form our days, and even our lives. The smile of a friend over coffee, a patch of blue in the sky that reminds you of your grandmother’s favourite bedspread, the orange car that drives past causing you to promise yourself that one day you’ll own own one just like it. I don’t know about you but these are the little things, the details, that make life complete. Especially when you take the time to not only notice them, but to take an interest in them. Pause and inhale them. Then carry them with you throughout the day. That seems like a nice kind of gift to give myself each day, starting next week.
And funnily enough I looked up the above quote, just to make sure my source was correct, and apparently it follows on to say “The true secret of happiness lies in taking a general interest in all the details of daily life and in elevating them to art.” I can’t promise that what I snap away on my iPhone each day will be ‘elevated to art’, but they will be happy snaps – in one form or the other. I’m really looking forward to it.
And something else I’m looking forward to is sharing some recent work, from various sweetheart and engagement sessions I’ve been shooting, as well as some impossibly sweet litte newborns. And not to mention the weddings. For now, here is a favourite from last night’s engagement session, where we spent more time waiting out the rain under a gazebo than we did shooting. But I think I love chatting almost as much as taking photos, so all was good. Thanks for a lovely evening, Jolie and Alex – you guys are champions. Mostly for listening to me prattle on half the night.
.jpg "Melbourne Engagement Photography")
Narrelle x