In the previous blog, I wrote that my camera was often used to record significant family moments. I guess I was sufficiently conscious of the value of everyday pics to also record little moments such as this photo of Rachel talking to my father in the little dining nook. This was in a house we had bought that year on the other side of town. I like the engagement between the pair, and the way Rachel is leaning in to the conversation with her grandfather. You can see a sliver of the view out the window.
I look at this photo these days and part of me thinks how much better it could have been if I had closed in and excluded more of the distracting objects around the pair. But think about it. I would have had the 55mm standard lens on the Olympus. To exclude the clutter, I would have had to move closer, which would probably have broken the nice connection between Rachel and Dad. Then I could have forgone the photo or tried to get them to pose for it, but I am sure I would have lost the spontaneity of this shot.
These days I would have more options. I have zoom lenses and I would be able to declutter the photo without physically getting closer. But this was taken in 1985; all things considered, I remain happy that I photographed a genuine connection imperfectly rather than perfectly photographing a fake.
From the little house on the hill in Albany, we ventured out again into the bush. With the aid of a sturdy baby backpack, we took Rachel into our favourite south coast wilderness and up to the top of the Stirling Range. One of us carried the baby, and the other took all the gear we needed for the day – food, water, nappies, raincoats and the camera. Given that I probably carried Rachel at least half the time, this means that Marg must have carted the camera around half the time. Co-credit for some these photos must go to her.