Photo meme

I’ve been tagged by Heather, at Notes from Lapland (and you think you've got lots of snow in England?), to show you my favourite photograph, and tell you why it’s my favourite. I’m going to have to cheat a little here, because I don’t think I have a favourite photograph, per se. I love the ones that sit on my desk here, but I’m not going to post them because I don’t want photos of my kids on the internet. And of course they are of my kids. I’m so predictable. So I’m not going to show them to you, but I will describe them for you.

One is a headshot of 5-yo, taken in Colorado two years ago. It’s not a terribly good photograph. There are telegraph poles and wires in the background, and she is half in shadow, half in sun. She’s wearing a baseball cap belonging to one of her brothers, and that black curly mass just below her chin is her father’s head – she’s sitting on his shoulders. But here’s why I love it. I emailed it to a friend and she said “what a great photo – when you look into her eyes, you can see into her soul”, and that’s exactly right. It’s one of those rare photos where the subject is looking into the camera, but somehow their awareness of the camera doesn’t get in the way of what the camera sees. So yes, I love her wispy blond hair, her little button nose, her smile. And yes, I love the memory of the moment I took that picture, on a sunny day in the mountains. But most of all, I love looking into her 3 year old soul. She has a beautiful soul. Yesterday she was telling me how she had had to pretend she believed in Santa, because although SHE knows the secret about it, Grandad doesn't, and she hadn't wanted to spoil it for him.

The other photo is of the two boys and me. They are 4 and 1, (I wish I had written dates on the backs of photos, and could be more precise). I’m sitting on our bed, and I have one boy on each leg. You can tell from the awkward angles of my arms and hands that it was quite a feat to keep them there. They are naked (legs are positioned to preserve modesty), and I know it is just after their bath-time, because there is a towel draped over the bedrail (which means that the younger one was sleeping in our bed at the time the photo was taken – although that bedrail probably stayed there for a while afterwards, as these things do). We are all grinning. The photo perfectly captures those fun bathtime and bedtime moments. We used to bath them together, and then put on music and let them dance around on our bed (dance, not bounce, before you throw up your hands in horror), before putting on their pyjamas and reading them stories. I can hear now in my head, as I type, the cd of Scottish Folk Music that we often put on, which I was given as something of a joke, I think, when we moved to Scotland, but which grew on me and became a favourite. It was either that, or the Gypsy Kings, or Something Fischy, or nursery rhymes, or jolly Christmas tunes.

The boys have a strong resemblance in the photo, which has faded over the years. Their bodies both have that lovely soft pudgy small-child look about them. The 1 year old has those rolls of chubb on his arms and legs, and a big tummy. He is skinny as a whip today. We all look so relaxed and happy. The photo was posed, but it captured one moment that could have been a moment from any number of evenings. The boys are looking at the camera, but you can see they’re not going to sit still for long. They are ready to get off my lap and on with the dancing. I wonder what music we were playing that night?

I am going to tag

Paradise Lost in Translation, who always has an interesting angle on things, photographically or otherwise, and who might post a photo of herself wearing a dress with a gecko embroidered on the back - or might not,

Reluctant Memsahib, who definitely knows how to post a great photo (are you still blogging out there, Reluctant Memsahib?),

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, because there should be more people who post pictures of tuna costumes, and

Elsie Button, for no particular reason. Oh, except for that memorable photograph of a malteser which she once posted.

And in case you are cross with me for not actually displaying a photograph, I will do so in my next post - promise.

.