Looking Back, Looking Closely
Reflecting on the Year Through Photographs
In our household, this time of year is always a bit of a whirlwind. The children’s birthdays, seasonal festivities and that familiar end-of-year tiredness meets the pull toward new beginnings (I’ll be a school mum in 2026!). This year, in particular, has felt heavy for many of us, and I’ve been sensing a shared desire for pause, presence, and real connection with the people we love.
When I look back on the year, I like to do so alongside the photographs that shaped it and the stories they hold.
One image I keep returning to was taken earlier this year on a cold winter’s afternoon in Hyde Park, London. My son has his hands raised, playfully making pretend binoculars - a fleeting gesture that for me, has become a metaphor for looking out, looking back, and looking closely.
What Photographs Hold for Families
Photographs allow us to do this. They offer a window into another world, helping us see moments from different perspectives. They give us a way of returning to fragments in time and invite us to reflect, remember and pause.
This photograph will make its way into my 2025 family yearbook, one of my January rituals. Each year, I create a book that captures the essence of the year gone by. Because I curate my photos as I go, this process feels manageable and enjoyable. I’m choosing favourites from a collection that already has shape, with captions and stories embedded in the images so the context is all there when I assemble the book.
This is exactly what I want for the families I work with - to reach a place where revisiting your photos feels calm and rewarding, not daunting. Where your collection supports storytelling and legacy, rather than living scattered and unseen across devices or hiding away in dusty boxes.
An Invitation To Begin
For now, if you find a moment over the holidays, consider pulling out an old album, a handful of prints, or a box tucked away in a cupboard. Even small actions - recording a story, sorting through prints, or noticing which images you’re drawn to preserve - can bring clarity and inspire you to move forward in your photo organising journey.
Wishing everyone a restorative, joyful festive season and a thoughtful, intentional start to the new year!
If your own collection feels overwhelming, I’d love to help. Begin the year with clarity by booking a complimentary Clarity Call, and together we can explore how to make your family’s photo legacy manageable and enduring for 2026 and beyond.
