Well, what a year! Certainly not the one any of us were expecting and here we are, in 2021, back in lockdown.
I enjoy my "review of the year" posts as they give me a chance to look back at my favourite photos, my achievements and give me focus for the next year ahead. This year, more than ever, I think it's important to do this and focus on the good stuff that happened in 2020. It's the year we'll all remember for so many devastating reasons (and given what happened yesterday at the Capitol building in the USA, 2021 may be pretty similar!) but so many good things have happened to.
Here are some of my personal moments of joy from this year...
I'm so glad we made it to visit my parents in Malaysia in January just as the pandemic was starting to reveal itself in China, little did we know that we just made it back before things really took a turn!
My first (but short-lived) lockdown project - taking photos of and through the rainbow windows that were popping up locally (and all over the world) as messages of hope. I wanted to document this time and how life was carrying on indoors but when the full lockdown happened after that first weekend after schools closed I felt I had to stop. Even though all photos were taken through closed windows, it just didn't feel responsible for me to continue as I'd have to drive to get to people's homes from where we live and it was obviously not essential.
Tales mainly from our living room as we all adapted to life at home with occasional walks outdoors. There was daily den building, zooms with classmates, PE with Joe, camping in the garden, lots of baking, family dance parties, naps, clapping out of the windows with our neighbours, masks, home haircuts, the dreaded home learning, plenty of screen time, BBQs and a heatwave or two!
I still can't quite believe I started an international magazine! We're currently working on Edition 3: COLOUR and I can already tell, it is going to be my favourite yet!
I did my first stint as judge for round three of the This is Reportage: Family 2020 awards!
I'm honoured to have become a Gold Hope Project volunteer photographer, offering free photo sessions to childhood cancer patients. My first assignment will take place as soon as guidelines allow after lockdown!
I was interviewed for my first ever podcast by the lovely Sarah Krieg, fellow twin mum and colour lover over in California. We had so much fun chatting about all sorts of things including my photo journey and top tips (and my most embarrassing moment)!
I earned joint 57th place in the Top 100 Photographers in the World ranking on This is Reportage: Family.
I completed my 1st 366 project - a photo every day (ish) in 2020...
And to finish off, my own top 10 favourite images from 2020 for various reasons:
