Tag: portraits

A Wild and Beautiful Life: Inspiring Mother Jessica

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It definitely takes a lot talent to style and construct a photo well. But it takes a whole other kind of talent and vision to see and capture the beauty of what is already right there in front of you. Perhaps, the most beautiful thing to observe is real human connection, whether this connection is with another human or another species. I think most of us have felt this sort of connection at least once, for some of us we feel this daily. These connections with others are constantly happening between people around us, but it takes patience and a keen intuition to catch a glimpse.

Today, I’m sharing my interview with Jessica Lindgren-Wu, a mother, partner, former dancer, and photographer. When you see Jessica’s photos it is immediately obvious she is an artist. Her photos are among the best I have encountered not only on Instagram and VSCO, but more broadly in the world of contemporary photographers capturing childhood, real childhood. Her photos are at once beautiful and gritty, energetic and calm. In many ways she reminds me of Sally Mann, one of the world’s most famous (and, yes, controversial) photographers, known best for her work photographing her children. To me, the magic in Mann’s photographs lies in how well they display the connection Mann has with her children. It is clear she spent thousands of hours with her children, observing them as their lives, their play, their emotions naturally unfolded. This magic is what I see in Jessica’s work. There is something very pure, very authentic, very genuine about her photography. But more than that, her photos could only have been taken by a mother, a parent, a caregiver, who is deeply connected with h/er children.

I have never been someone who enjoys a photograph for the technical skill it displays or the beauty of the subject alone. There has to be another layer that tells a broader story or conveys a larger message. For me, Jessica’s photographs are technically and aesthetically beautiful, but most importantly they tell a simple but all-important story of slowing down, connecting to each other and to the moment, and being content. Now, that is a beautiful life.

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What part of the world do you live in? 

We live in a Suburb to London, England.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them? 

I have four boys.

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K is 15. He is an incredible focused, caring and self-motivated young man. His plans and dreams for his life are elaborate and thought thru. He is studying 3D design at college since September. He builds computers and free climbs in his spare time. K likes cooking and making yummy veggie curries. He clears tables in a local restaurant on Saturday nights to pay off a loan from me for computer parts. We are amazed at his size as he has outgrown every family member. K is like a big, kind bear. I love that he still hugs me tight every day, and hope he never stops giving his mum a squeeze.

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T is a super social, fast talking, deep thinking and kind 12 year old. He is a self-taught gymnast and does some crazy flips. At the moment he is practicing a 720 backflip. He collects fossils and gem stones and other curiosa, like animal bones.  He deeply dislikes competition, and arguments and is known to solve conflicts with the most unusual techniques. T reads a lot of manga comics and is learning Japanese, so he can catch the new episodes on-line as they become available in Japan first.

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E is a sparkling 7 year old who loves life. He plays hard and plays well. He has intense periods of creative outbursts. One month it is drawing. He can sit for hours producing drawing after drawing. The next month is lego, and he builds whole lands on his bedroom floor, the next it might be robots, minecraft, dragons and recently he discovered skylanders. I swear I can see his brain grow at these times. I adore his focus and intensity. He announced he taught himself to read just before christmas, and indeed he did. He loves music and has some great moves, including a great shoulder spin.
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S is 3, and a half. That half is very important. He can’t wait to grow up. He feels a lot, in that passionate three year old way. He is great fun and likes playing with his brothers and friends. S is full of superhero tales and eye twinkling mischief and tells me his tales with the most endearing facial expressions. He has some amazing lego building skills for his age. S likes animals a lot, especially pigs.
 
What are your core family values?
Our core family values come from my husband and my own personal experiences, our humanist values and our belief in freedom and creative problem solving. We aim to find common preference and try our best to meet every family members needs and wants without judgement at all times. This is of course hard at times and with so many individuals to consider, but for us it is worth the extra effort and very much what we strive to get better at daily. Of course with freedom comes respect for others at all times, just so you don’t think it is utter chaos or kids running disrespectful riot.
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How do you spend most of your days?
Every day is different. We are a very flowing family with somewhat unusual, very flexible timetables. We have a loose weekly plan and daily commitments that we plan our projects, wants and needs around. We spend most days together. I personally look after the home, cook and help facilitate the boys life and learning for the biggest part of the day. I do make time daily for some essential self nurturing.
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What is your favourite thing to do as a family?
We spend a lot of time outdoors. Hanging by the sea, or in a woodland, is something every family member enjoys.
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What are you passionate about?
Freedom, equality, creativity and life.
What inspires you?
Love, nature, people, art and truth.
Visit Jessica online at her website WildWuzle.com, on VSCO or Instagram.
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My Favourite Photos from 2014

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Other people’s photos are a great source of inspiration for me. There is such a broad range of experiences and points of view to discover through photography. When thinking back on the last year, there are a handful of photos that really stood out for me. Yes, I saw thousands of beautiful photos of gorgeous children and stunning landscapes, but most did not stick in my mind. A few did, they seemed to leave an imprint on my mind, because they told stories.

I should explain a little more. I tend to place photographs into three basic categories. The first category is documentary photos — these photos are simply a record of something you don’t want to forget, like your child’s first winter concert at school. The second category is beautiful photos — in these photos the subject or the composition is visually pleasing; maybe the model is undeniably beautiful, or the subject is a gorgeous delicate bouquet of flowers. The third category is narrative photos — these photos tell a story or seem like excerpts from one. News photos are a typical example of this category, imagine a photograph of protesters facing off with police officers. By far, my favourite photos are those that tell a story, because the images are rich and deep in meaning, conveying a message that goes beyond being an aide–mémoire or an object of beauty.

I’ve collected four of my favourite photographs from the past year from people I follow on Instagram. They are beautiful photos, but they also seem to tell a story. When photos combine technical skill, great composition, beauty and storytelling, they can be truly remarkable, as these ones are.

The Saxophone Player

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Photo credit: Nicole Bianchi

The first photo is by Nicole who lives in New Jersey and is known as @nicolebianchi_ on Instagram. When I saw this photo for the first time I was enchanted. It seemed to me like the cover of a fantastic book of adventure. I asked Nicole to tell me how this photo came to be and the types of portraits she seeks to capture of her children. Here’s what she had to say:

“I strongly believe that being surrounded by nature allows children to be creative, curious and explorative.  Nature instills a sense of beauty and respect for all living things and gives the children a special love for our Earth and the environment.  Imagination comes into play as children create special hide outs (such as teepees, forts, tree houses) and use natures’ findings (sticks, roots, tree trunks, leaves, pinecones, acorns, etc) to make toys and create their own stories.  

When we were hiking at Harriman State Park in upstate NY, my son Tyler (age 8) and I were photographing a beaver dam and a tree trunk that the beaver had eaten, when Ava (age 6), was off exploring in the woods.  Ava came running over so excited to show us what she had found.  In her hand was this beautifully detailed root which wasn’t a root to her at all.  Ava said, “Mommy, I have found the most perfect saxophone!”  And there she went dancing to her own beat, playing her saxophone through the woods.  Everything our children need is right in front of their magical eyes.  They just need the freedom to explore and the patience to observe all of nature.  I love that both my children are inspired by the outdoors and do not need a ton of materialistic things to be happy.  

When I take photos of Tyler and Ava,  I want to capture the joy of being a child, getting dirty, exploring and being free.  I want my children to have this beautiful storybook for when they get older and share their adventures and memories of their childhood with the ones they love.”

The Forest Fairy

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Photo credit: Michelle Housel

The second photo is by Michelle, the artist and doll maker behind @danceypantsdisco. Michelle lives 30 miles out to sea on the tiny island of Nantucket. When I saw this photo for the first time it looked like a still from a fantasy film. Odin, her little boy, looks like a forest fairy, wise beyond his years, who will soon be called upon to save the forest from destruction. I asked Michelle to tell me how this photo came to be and the types of portraits she seeks to capture of her son.

“Many of the photos I take are sightly planned, based on weather or season. On a very foggy morning I might want to head to a large field to play and bring my camera along. On a cloudy day, we tend to head to the woods. On a brighter day we may go to the water, whether it be beach or pond. This is the way we plan our days activities anyway and it always seems to set a magical environment for photos all on its own.

This particular photo was brought about much more casually, I didn’t even bring along my DSLR. We had a friend visiting and after a late night, I thought it would be nice to take a walk around our neighborhood with Odin to allow our friend some extra time to sleep in (Odin loves this friend very much and tends to want to wake him straight away with kisses, bright and early). It was warm and foggy and we rushed out the door so Odin was only wearing his pyjama pants and no shoes. I like to keep my hands busy almost constantly so I picked some ivy from our yard and wove a crown while we walked. Near our house is a dirt road rarely traveled, Odin was instantly drawn to it and turned as we passed. I followed watching him walk and stop every so often to pick tiny flowers that were growing along the edges of the road. He heard a bird singing her morning song and stopped in the middle of the path to listen, which is when I snapped the photo on my phone! I see a lot of magic in him and I think he allows me to see a lot of magic in the world and I’m always so grateful for that insight.”

The Bird Whisperer

Photo credit: Leah Deighton

The third photo is by Leah @sangthebird, who lives on a rural rainforested property in Northern NSW, Australia. When I saw this photo for the first time it was so heartwarming. It seemed to me like a snapshot from a beautiful story of friendship. I asked Leah to tell me a bit about how this photo came to be and the types of portraits she seeks to capture of her children.

“We live surrounded by nature, wildlife and our 31 chickens. I spend most of my days at home being a mama and working on my new business Oh Sunday. I am so grateful that I get to live and work in such a beautiful place. I love spending time with my family and noticing the ‘little things’.This photo is the result of a little serendipity. My daughter is 8 years old and has always had an affinity with nature and animals, being outside with the chickens is her happy place. This li’l chick, Lavender, has always loved sitting on her shoulder as we go about our outside chores. This one Saturday morning in winter we were collecting the eggs when I heard giggling. She was giggling because Lavender had flown up onto her head and it was tickling. It was only 30 seconds or so and they became quiet and still, they both looked so natural and comfortable together. I took a quick shot of the moment and continued collecting. That evening as I edited the photo I realised they were both looking in the same direction… I never found out what they were looking at, but that doesn’t really matter, this photo will always make me smile.

I love taking portraits of my kids. I think that they are so used to me photographing them that they don’t ever feel the need to pose and (fake) smile; sometimes they don’t even seem to realise I am photographing them. I try to capture photos of my children doing everyday things, and the things that they love. Mostly that is being in nature, adventuring and making and playing. It is in those little moments where they are engaged and I am just silently watching them that I am able to capture their true nature. I also love those precious moments when you see the love between siblings, even a blurred shot can hold a beautiful memory.”

The Sleeping Beauty

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Photo credit: Dieny @dibonjo

The fourth photo is by Dieny, known as @dibonjo on Instagram. Dieny lives in Scotland, she is a “mother, homemaker, lover and friend.” When I saw this photo for the first time I was stunned by its beauty. It seemed to me like the cover of enchanting story I had to read. I asked Dieny to tell me about how this photo came to be and the types of portraits she seeks to capture of her son. Here’s what she said:

“I am never so full of awe as when I watch him sleep.  All of the beauty of his wakeful hours crashing to the fore.  He is a true treasure.  As they all are.

What you saw in this image is very much in tune with my feeling at the time. My son, as I was, is a great lover of fairy tales. In fact, tales of any sort. The folktales of my childhood, told from memory and mostly faded from my own, were joy-filled, enchanting and oftentimes foreboding. Their little warnings rang in our ears as we roamed free and far. My son isn’t able to enjoy the physical range to explore as frequently as I did but his imagination is far reaching and I hope I encourage this. When he woke from his nap, I told him his dreams sprang up around him as he slept. “I was dreaming of flowers Mama”, he beamed.”

Thank you Nicole, Michelle, Leah and Dieny for sharing your photos and words.