A fun fact for you: my Dad used to be a photographer too. We took some headshots of each other last weekend and it made me realise: in hindsight and very subtly, I’m sure he is where my photography journey began.

It sounds obvious, but I say subtly because I didn’t fall in love with cameras instantly. (albeit my daughter’s obsession with those has started much earlier than I expected it – but I digress) I distinctly remember that it was my dad’s photo albums that I loved from a very young age. He has dozens of them, all neatly put together like published books, but of course they’re not. In fact, a lot of the photos were either stuck in or mounted. Inevitably after many years, some of the photos would come unstuck, but on the back of them, he would write the date and location of each photo with a very faint pencil, – talk about effective admin!

But it was mainly my dad’s black and white images that spoke to me. He of course shot everything on film (his film camera collection is something for museums. I must take a picture of them all one day) adding to the magic and spontaneity of each shot. I used to turn through his albums for hours. His photos mainly consisted of family portraits, past holidays (some of which I’m in) and various family occasions. As a child, I used to imagine what he would have said to people to get them pose and look at him the way they did. So much rich family history, perfect candid moments, first times – all of which started as just a moment for him and his camera – how could I not fall in love with process of photography?

I like that our love for photography only ever crosses over so often. It makes the moments when they do, that little bit more special. Like last weekend, when he asked me to take some headshots and I decided I wanted some done too. I’m so glad I got my phone out and filmed that moment. I had no intention of sharing it, but as I edited our photos side by side, I realised how notable it was.

That’s the beauty of photography – it forces you to reflect. And even in today’s internet culture, where sharing and taking photos often requires very little thought, I’m glad that I still appreciate the process as much as I did as a child – and I have my dad to thank for that.

Check out the reel i made here