I recall Tracey Clark sharing this article a while ago and you know what stuck in my mind… that you only have 18 summers with your children…

What?! That’s not very many…

And I think 18 is even stretching it, it’s probably less…

So our boys are 11 and 9 so I’m over half way through my available summers… Thankfully I’ve been making them count already….

Part of going on our big adventure was that this time in our lives won’t come round again. We’re embracing life and seizing opportunities while we can, because sometimes you blink… and it’s all different, before you know it, life changes.

We all put things off coz life is so busy! but you know what?… it’s always going to be busy…That’s not going to change till we’re old enough to potter on the allotment and take naps on sofa in the middle of the afternoon.

We create our life this way, and that’s ok, because we can also fill it with goodness when we carve out time for what’s really important.

I’m a believer in not letting moments pass me by.

Ever since I’ve had a camera (stills or video) it’s been my mission to record my life, capture memories… making that extra effort, even when work or family commitments take over because I know I’ll want to look back at these times.

I did it last summer… Made a few films and those moments are precious.

Thank goodness I found the time to hangout & shoot just for pleasure, capturing our life. Then working with my memories by creating Time Capsules and not letting the footage disappear on some hard drive… I watch this and I’m taken right back… the feelings wash over me, of how much I missed Cosmo when he went to camp on his own… it’s pretty magic.

So, back to counting the summers… If the theory is right, I’ve got 5 summers left with both boys together! Yikes!

This gives me fire in my belly to keep making memories through photos and videos… and make more summer Time Capsule films, just like I wrote it in my list – number #20.

We’re diving into my COLLABORATE course, and the ideas are flowing.

What are your plans for your summer? How many do you have left with your children? Wanna make some memories together with them? you could join us for COLLABORATE… registration opens tomorrow… details here.

These photos are a few of my favourite iPhone pics from our big hopeful adventure… photos I wouldn’t have if my iPhone hadn’t been in my pocket at that moment… grateful indeed.

Back in October at the Shuttersisters Oasis, we had the opportunity to play with underwater photography… Wonderfully, LifeProof sponsored us by providing a few cases to play with. I jumped at the chance to experiment and had so much fun making images in the pool.

I knew the LifeProof case would come in handy while on our big hopeful adventure, as we would have plenty of water opportunities… the sea, swimming pools and river action. In the end, I kept the case on the whole time, knowing that I was ready to take underwater footage at any moment, and also, my phone was protected from sand, dirt and sunscreen throughout.

I’m in full editing mode at the moment, with quite a few Time Capsules films being created at once, as I cull through my footage. I’m playing with different ideas, and trying to create a few different Time Capsules of our adventures, so I have films that are more than just holiday videos.

In my courses, I talk about sometimes making a Time Capsule film with a theme. Your theme could be on just on one subject shot over a period of time… Having one theme means you can really hone in on that subject. Another suggestion is having a thread that follows through the story, as a great way to help with pace and keep the story flowing. A thread is something that reoccurs throughout your film… you keep repeating it at different times in different situations, during the piece and can help keep the viewer interested.

So what a long intro to my latest Time Capsule film!

I shot a lot in the water… all the boys were very up for experimenting and getting involved… we were full of ideas of what could they do in front of the camera next! So this is what we created together. With the theme of water… and there’s a small thread throughout… I didn’t notice so much at the time of shooting, but it appears Cosmo likes offer the “thumbs up” frequently!… so I sprinkled this action throughout the film.

All shot with the 8mm app on the iphone, safely inside a LifeProof case… edited in iMovie

For my class A JOURNEY I encouraged people to shoot stories with their iphone or other mobiles, as it’s often the camera we have with us most of the time. I made a tutorial with a few tips for shooting with the iphone that I’ve learnt along the way…

So I thought I’d make another one just for underwater shooting with your iphone… just in case my film has inspired you & you’d like a go.

Making this water Time Capsule film has me all excited for summer! All that sunshine, swimming and jumping in water makes me so happy…

And working with my boys to create films has got me thinking about the Summer and how perhaps there’s a class/course/community I could organise/create to “Time Capsule” your Summer break with your children involved…. What do you think?

Would you be interested in “Time Capsuling your Summer” making quick and easy films of your summer memories, with your family helping & shooting alongside…

Let me know your thoughts…

Of course our trip away would bring plenty of photos of new situations and places, but there were also opportunities for photos of our boys, at times like first thing in the morning… doing things they don’t normally do.

Instead of rushing breakfast and getting ready for school – this happened – being thoughtful, watching the sun come up, in a hammock on the balcony of our wooden hut in Kampot, Cambodia…

These are the moments I want to remember… a break from the routine, disrupting our pattern… a precious gift. Just me & him talking about the sunrise and listening the chickens and enjoying the simple pleasure of swinging in a hammock.

I loved making my list from last year happen… and I’ll carry on with some of the 38 things for sure… alongside this new list of 39 things, which I started on my birthday last month, while we were away travelling… and already things are starting to build & happen…

My 39 things -

1. Own a bike

2. Visit New York

3. Share/teach my work & passion live in person

4. Continue running my e-courses and create more…

5. Throw a 40th party next March with Naomi, just like we’ve done for other milestone birthdays

6. Attend a retreat or workshop just for me & my creative development

7. Learn how to do proper make up… it’s about time

8. Attend a TED event or the DO lectures

9. Play with a polaroid land camera

10. Celebrate 20 years together by doing something special

11. Buy a house

12. Support Luke & the boys through this transition and see them fly into this next chapter of their lives

13. Collaborate and nurture the collaborations already happening

14. A workspace of my own… maybe?

15. Not to have to worry about money

16. Create a book or have an exhibition or both

17. Make a film for a family that aren’t expecting it but will appreciate the memories to hold on to

18. Wear more dresses

19. Build on the ability to travel more… For work and pleasure

20. Make a Time Capsule film a month for us & a film of our summer

21. Go on a road trip – spontaneous or planned… either way or both…

22. Yoga. Regularly. Not just now and again

23. Build my portrait business… Photograph more moments, more people, more families & real stories. Make Time Capsule films for other families and day in the life films for people running creative businesses

24. Stay at the colour hotel – Palm Springs

25. Go on or organise a creative trip with like minded people

26. Photograph a birth or two

27. Go to bed earlier

28. Cook something new each month

29. Visit somewhere new each month

30. Have a trip with my girls for all of our 40th birthdays

31. See Ben Howard live

32. Watch and capture murmiration

33. Give back

34. Expand my personal projects into something.

35. Finish my portfolio site

36. Carry on living in colour, making colour happen and believing in the magic…

37. To be sponsored for a creative project – not sure what yet, but I’m open to possibilites

38. Visit as many beaches as I can

39 . May we all stay healthy, be happy and appreciate the little things. Be grateful always. And be together.

Where to begin?

I feel like I’m under the best mountain of memories…

This is a good place to be. I’m just finding my way back from a month of living very differently.

Being away and disrupting regular patterns is amazing.

Seeing new parts of the world is amazing.

The whole experience was… yes, amazing.

And I have a ton of material – photos and footage to tell some of the stories…

But how do I begin?

I’m trusting it will unfold as its meant too… that it will surprise me, just like parts of this experience have.

I figure I will probably start slowly, with mini stories… Sharing moments I want to remember. There will be time capsules films… I have enough footage, just a little fear is creeping in of how to start to cull through it.

Can I summarise? Just to give a flavour and set the scene… and get the ball rolling of re-living this dream.

There was Bali… A wonderful introduction to our adventure, a familiar place, full of family (Luke’s sister & brother have families there) we soaked up the heat, adjusted our body clocks, Cosmo learnt to swim underwater, Ky rode at the front of a boat, they snorkelled for the first time ever. We woke early each day and watched many sunrises… there were also two birthday celebrations – mine and Lukes – we were spoilt… it was lovely.

The colours of Bali sparked so much…. the richness and creativity in every direction filled me up… if our adventure had stopped there, it would have been enough… but thankfully it wasn’t over… it was just the beginning.

There was Cambodia. This was the BIG adventure. New discoveries, constantly on the move exploring new places. Our longtime friend Jake, shared his favourite spots away from the tourists traps and this gave us a special perspective of a country coming out of such tragic times.

I loved it there, reminded me of travelling back in my younger days. Full of unspoilt scenery, rawness… real life so very different from ours, a lot of emotion and stimulation for all the senses. It was a whirlwind, the best kind, where your days are so full of experiences, that each day feels like a week.

There were boat trips, beach trips, city trips, motorbike trips, canoe trips, jungle trips, temple trips… and so much more…

Cambodia blew my mind.

Then our final chapter, back to the island we lived on for two years in Thailand. Going back to see what had changed. Surprisingly, so much was the same, familiar places and faces at every turn. But there were also differences…

Standing in our old house (which is now a shop), was a real moment. A rush of emotion of a life we once had… the tiled floor Ky used to crawl upon, the stairs he learnt to walk up, the grass he used to run on… Was now a boutique, selling bowls and beaded bits. I cried, then I also let go. This was good.

We had good times catching up with friends, the boys found a whole new gang of children to hang with and ate plenty of crepes. We had the most amazing day for Thai New Year.

Yet, I hardly picked up my camera, inspiration left me… the rain, continuous storms and lack of light were getting to me.

I struggled for a few days with this feeling, thinking I was wasting this opportunity, and what kind of artist am I to not be inspired here of all places. I sulked… then I worked through it and accepted perhaps this was how it was meant to be. It doesn’t always have to be about photo making and shooting, sometimes you just need to be. To be me. To recharge. To be with those you love, and just BE. Play cards, watch films, sit in cafes, and do very little. So that’s what I did… made memories in a different way.

We have so many memories now, real stories to share with together and with others, for years to come. The boys have opened their eyes to some amazing wonders, made new friends and discovered what great travellers they are…

We were spoilt beyond measure, filled up to the brim with goodness. Lived a different life for a little while. I’m forever grateful for this time in our lives, everything slotted into place and many personal dreams were achieved.

This was the right time, in the right places to open our eyes to see how far we’ve come and the possibilities of what’s next.

This is just the beginning of my stories of our big hopeful adventure… there’s plenty more to come… Stay tuned.

As we’ve reached the final day of our adventure… I’m sitting with this quote by Henry David Thoreau…

This trip has been a dream come true… and has given us so many gifts. Heading home tomorrow and looking forward to the next chapter in our lives and what other dreams we can make happen.

A few hours drive from Phnom Penh takes you to Kampot, one of the most beautiful “by the river” spots I’ve ever seen. SO quiet & serene, hardly any tourists, just us with two days to play on and around the water… and marvel at the open space and the ever changing skies.

Bali was all I remembered and more… just popping in to share a few colourful memories…

The next part of our hopeful adventure is… Cambodia… we’ve never been there before, I can’t wait to see what delights it brings…

{Follow along with me at Instagram}

Ever since we left our home in Thailand 8 years ago, I’ve wished to return. For us all to go back and make more stories in a place that will always warm my heart.

Travel has always been important to us, it enriches you in ways beyond your wildest dreams. The opportunities just haven’t been there for us over the last few years, finding the spare kind of money you need has been a struggle and we’ve not had a proper holiday for too long now.

We’d like our boys to experience the world, and now is the right time for them to begin. They are now an age where they will remember this time in their life forever, their life is unfolding and shaping them up to be incredible people on this earth. And while we try to give them experiences out of the city through camping etc… It’s time they had more.

So we’re off… For adventures far far away from here, and I can hardly believe it’s actually happening and happening to us.

I’m so very very very grateful.

We’ll be going to Thailand and stopping in Bali & Cambodia along the way…

Who knows if I will blog while away, I’d like too, but only time will tell… so stay tuned.

Let the adventure begin…

We are so ready!!

{This illustration was a birthday present for Luke from us all by the fabulous Blanka.}

The past few weeks have whizzed… there has been much happening in our lives, so much to be grateful for and I feel full to the brim…

My course A JOURNEY has some wonderful stories being told within it… all these lives… from all over the world, being made into their Time Capsule films packed with memories, that I just know they’re going to love in years to come.

Spring shows up in London one day, only for it to snow the next… it’s confusing us all… and it’s obviously all us Brits can talk about!

Last Sunday was Mother’s day here in the UK… delicious lunch with my lovely boys and the most amazing shoes (I love stars)… my sister Boo, wrote the sweetest post about her favourite mums here.

More dining out with fabulous photographer friends recently… I find it’s important when you work at home alone a lot of the time, to get out and connect in real life… and naturally have special treats.

I’ve also finally finished my new WELCOME film – a mixture of my photos and films to showcase my work and what I love to create.

And finally… exciting things are happening over the next week, starting with Lovely Luke’s 40th birthday celebrations this weekend… it’s going to full of family, friends, food and fun…

Happy Friday!

x.

Oh and the colour making continues…