Photographing a Child's Play Space

Day in and day out, our days can be filled with routine after routine. My son wakes up around the same time every day, eats an insane amount of food, plays around the house, harasses the dogs, laughs, reads, plays outside, goes on walks, gets ready for bed, and goes to bed at the same time every night. If there’s one thing that works with this toddler, it’s routine. It helps us keep our sanity while chasing after and caring for a one-year-old. But what transforms the mundane to extraordinary?

Those special moments. When I walk into his room in the morning, I always make sure that our dog, Tugboat, is the first thing that he sees. The result? Incredible laughter as he yells, “Dog! Dog! Dog!” When he’s done eating, he holds up his hands and says, “All done!” When he chases after the dogs, he turns to me and lets out the biggest belly laugh. When he plays outside and becomes fascinated by a twig or leaf.

I live for these special moments that turn the everyday routine into an extraordinary moment.

The other day while were were playing in his playroom, I quietly left the room to get my camera. I needed to capture these moments. My son was totally in his element. Reading books, chasing after the dog, playing with his blocks. This was my son and I needed to capture these moments that so clearly defined him at this age.