06/07/2023
“Doing a Janice”
Growing up, I had an auntie who would relentlessly take photos at every family gathering. She’d line us all up in a very unnatural pose, either on the sofa or in the garden, and snap away, winding on the film as everyone would groan at having to have “just one more.” Then, a few weeks later, once the photos had been developed, she’d make us all sit down and look at them one by one. To be fair, they all looked the same.
It became a bit of a running joke in our family - if ever one of us got out a camera (or more recently, our phones) you’d be told that you were “doing a Janice.”
It’s only as I’ve gotten older though that I’ve started to get it. A photograph is like a snapshot of a memory, something to look back on and remember. Recently I’ve become a “Janice,” capturing moments whenever I can of my kids, the dog or places we go. I try to take more natural pictures instead of the rigid, posed ones and I’m certainly no Annie Leibovitz but it occurred to me that one day, when our memories fade, these photos will be a reminder. Don’t get me wrong, it’s important to live in the moment but sometimes it’s nice to look back and smile. And if I don’t take the photos, nobody else will 🤣 which is why there aren’t many with me in them!
What was the last photo you took? 📸
