I enjoy taking photos. Have done ever since I started off as a nervous cadet journalist who was too young to have a car licence and would hang the (manual) SLR camera around my neck and ride my bike from my square leg position at the local cricket, to the bowls, to the tennis and back over to pony club, the 40th wedding anniversary at the RSL and of course the infamous 18ths and 21sts which were apparently a must for the social pages.
I have never had any photography training, I was handed a camera and told what to take pictures of, but I have come to really appreciate photographs and the art involved in capturing a good one. So much so that I don't own a video camera, I find more joy in looking at a still image and drawing the story from it or being told the history behind a fading black and white image of times gone by.
Anyway, my point, I'm getting there! Just after Delilah was born Ash bought me a Digital SLR, my Canon EOS. From that point on I joked about having three babies as the EOS went everywhere with us and almost deserved it's own seatbelt. You may have noticed this from the 91 albums I have uploaded.
I have near 20,000 photos on the Mac at present, that start from Leo being born. But out of all those pictures, the other week I happened to capture my most favourite of all. I could hardly believe what a perfect picture it was until I saw it before my very eyes on the clear computer screen.
You see, on the surface it may not mean much to anyone else, but to me, this picture captures my children's personalities perfectly in a snap, to be preserved forever.
Leo is aged three and three months. The look on his face is the look he usually has. Happy, of course, but a thinking look. He is always the thinker. Most people upon meeting him think he is shy or even naughty as he tends not to greet people. But the fact is most people don't give him enough time. He has to deeply process every part of every situation. He will make sure it is safe, ok with me, that Delilah is ok and then try and figure out where this person or event fits into the scheme of the world. Then, and only then will you start to see the beautiful Leo personality. He is awfully clever and witty and has the most amazing imagination I have ever come across. I also love in this photo that he still has his bike helmet on (he has ridden to the park). Always safety first for Leo, and as always, he was right in being so safety conscious as soon after this picture was taken, he fell head-first off the flying fox, but thanks to the helmet, he came out of it just a little pride-injured.
Delilah is around 13 months. She is crazy, in a good way. She never stops. Never. Oh, except for when she is on her Grandpa's lap. She will stop for her Grandpa, but no one else. This photo captures her personality so well. She is always talking and yelling. She has so much to say and refuses to accept the fact that she is still a baby. She has never been a baby. Her big blue eyes were wide open to the world from the moment she was born, we have the photo to prove it. She can't see why she can't climb up to the big slide like Leo or why someone else has to get her dressed. The polar opposite of Leo, she thrives on attention. In fact if we are waiting in line in a shop and she sees some grumpy looking man in his work clothes who has clearly had a long day and really doesn't want to hear a baby whinge, she will smile, bat her eye lids and even go in for the kill with the dimples until eventually he comes over and utters the words she has been waiting on "aren't you beautiful?". She loves photos. Her first word was "cheese". She thought it meant photo before I even taught her about the food variety. She is always happy, oh except for the growing of the teeth, that is not a happy time, but I don't blame her. Delilah loves kisses and cuddles. Ash will give her a kiss before he goes to work and she will chase him down the hallway for another and another.
I love the blue tunnel in this photo, as both Leo and Delilah have the most vibrant blue eyes and the blue tunnel is at their favourite park in town on a gorgeous sunny day - pretty much what our new life is all about.
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