top of page

The things of our lives | Remembering life as it is today

Writer's picture: Morgan BarrettMorgan Barrett

An experiment in documenting the things around my home as a way to remember life as it is today | Documentary-style family photography


The dinosaur ‘fwamwy’ (family) that lives on the floor in our front room. The plastic pink slippers that Winslow carefully clacks down the wooden stairs in. The half-finished butterfly drawing that I’ll probably never finish. The way we pile stuff onto the bannister that needs to go upstairs. The south-facing windows that our dogs and cats love to bask in. The photos, magnets, and shopping lists on the fridge. Kory folding laundry over lunch while his wife (me) catches him off-guard by taking his picture. The family of ‘drivers’ that have taken up permanent residence on our kitchen island. The heart magnets our kids made at school.



These are just a few images of what our house looks like on any given day. Scenes that we mostly take for granted, except when we stop and think about how, one day, our house will be clutter-free. There will no longer be dinosaur “fwamwies” on the floor of the front room. We’ll wonder whatever happened to Winslow’s little pink slippers. The kitchen island “drivers” will be boxed up or given away.


These things don’t exactly seem photo-worthy. After all, they’re just things. They’re not aesthetically pleasing. They aren’t where they’re supposed to be. We wish we could put away Alder’s toys (he won’t let us because the kitchen island is their ‘home’). That is, until the kids are at school, then they become sweet mementos. Reminders that twin 4-year-olds live here. 


Our living room floor is littered with Magnatiles. But that mess is a reminder of playing together as a family. It’s a reminder of building a castle last Sunday morning - Winslow, Alder and me - while Kory read his book in the chair next to us. It’s a reminder of how annoyed we got with Ruby every time she came into our space wagging that big, destructive Labrador tail, and how Copper laid on the couch snoring, completely immune to the constant noise that is preschoolers.


“You’re gonna miss this” is cliche but true. You are. We are. I am. One day my heart will ache looking back at these pictures of things. Not because I’ll miss the things themselves, but because the things will remind me of the people I love most in this world. 


Sometimes I feel really silly taking pictures of inanimate objects during an in-home session. Sometimes I wonder if you are thinking what the hell is she doing? But… every time I look back on photos from an old session that include some still life photos, I am glad that I took them. If they make me feel nostalgic, I can only imagine how they make you feel.


I love being able to include photos of everyday objects in my sessions with you because I truly think they will mean something to you — 1 year down the road; 10 years down the road; 30 years down the road, when your grandkids are flipping through your old photos for a sense of what life was like ‘back then’.


But even better are the photos of everyday moments that include you in them. How often do you get to see yourself and your family through the eyes of another person? And not necessarily when you’re posed and ready, but when you’re just… in your element. Just living. ‘Just’ being a mom, a dad, a sibling, a child, a partner.


That’s what I love to do. That’s what gets my heart beating faster. I love planned and posed photos too, but the in-between moments? Those are the photos that are going to make us feel, remember, yearn.


Inspired by Allie Clarke & The Unraveled Academy's ‘Like No One Else’ course


8 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comentários


bottom of page