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Personal: 10 Years Married

  

Designer Showcase at London Fashion Week 2013

On this day… (2013) – from my ‘Path to Khai’ project.

Earlier this week, on Monday, to be exact, I posted this RAW image (just realised I shared an unedited image – oops 😁🙈) of my marriage license, my ring and that of my husband on Instagram with the following caption:

Ten years ago today, hubby @robertngare1 and I got married in Kenya, but we have been together for longer than this.

I am not going to sugar coat it and say it has all been smooth sailing. Truth be told, no one ever prepares you for married life especially when you both come from being raised by single mums (who did a brilliant job by the way). We have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions and I can confirm from my own experience that the 7-year itch is real people. 😬😅

Being married to Robert has had its challenges and I know I haven’t made it easy for him too, but we are both here working on ourselves, TOGETHER. We have two beautiful children and amazing friends who support us when we need it. Oh and therapy too! That has helped tremendously.

Babes, as we celebrate 10 years legally together, I want to let you know that I LOVE YOU. Thank you for being there for us and our babies. Here is to more years together until we are both old and toothless!

HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY BABES! 😘

When I took this image back in 2013 for a university project, I never envisioned myself using it to celebrate 10 years of marriage. Sometimes, we work on a project and once we know they are done, they are archived perhaps never to see the light of day. Yet, here we are.

Anyway, here is the blurb that goes with the project:

‘Path to Khai’ is a documentation of the birth of my firstborn son, Khai.

This project is my personal journey of love, marriage and parenthood.

Everybody has their own idea and experience of how to have a family.

This can be interpreted by the audience in different ways as long as they can identify with the final outcome of joy, heartache, despair and unconditional love.

In case you were wondering or are just curious, here is the series in full and in the order as they would appear if I was to exhibit them.

Rings
On this day… (2013)

Condoms and Lub
Personal Protection and Lubricant (2013)

Tampons
Missed Period (2013)

Pregnancy Kit
Pee on a Stick (2013)

Diapers
It’s a Boy! (2013)

Prints from this series are available for purchase (except for the marriage certificate one) – contact me here for details.

#Another10YearAnniversary

Project: What Happened to the Rest of the Map?

  

What Happened to the Rest of the Map? (2019) – Part of the ‘Remnants’ series

I was travelling back home with my kids on the Central Line and when I looked up, I saw that a huge chunk of the line map was missing. Someone went out of their way to rip out a whole map and cut/left out these fours stations. It makes you ask loads of questions. Why did they do this? Is this some kind of vandalism? Why did they leave these four stations? And why only four stations? Why not one, two or just the whole map minus these four stations?

Like I said, loads of questions.

Then again, it made me think perhaps this person just wanted people to look at it and smile. I certainly did and that is why I took the photo. I showed it to my kids and they were equally amused. And if that was their goal, well, they succeeded.

I hope by sharing this photo I too have made you smile. My shameless attempt of paying it forward through someone else’s attempt of making the world a much happier place.

#RemnantsProject

Travel: Take Me Back to the Beach

 

This photograph was taken by my sister-in-law at Niechorze Beach when I visited her, my brother and nephew in Poland back in 2017.

It just reminds me of my love for travelling and experiencing new people and places. I really cannot wait to embark on more travel adventures, be it alone or with my family.

I believe travelling is the one true way to learn about yourself and others. One true way to appreciate life and the abundance of opportunities it has to offer. One true way to just be YOU & FREE!

Travelling for me is my happy place.

#Wanderlust

Personal: Family First

     

That moment you take a minute to reflect. Family support is EVERYTHING esp. when they came out to see my FMP Free Range Show back in 2016.

My daily challenges as a mother who is trying to work as a freelance photographer and at the same follow my passion, is that there are not enough hours in a day.

On a serious note, just getting to juggle between being a wife, mother and a photographer is hard enough as your family esp. children come first as the expense of getting childcare when an opportunity to go out on a job or assignment always makes you analyse whether is it worth it. Also, people don’t take creatives seriously and always want to undercut us when it comes to paying for work done.

I am here for #SupportingWorkingMums as the struggle is real.

So, if I quote you for a job, please keep in mind that I have bills just like you. And, when I mention my kids, don’t assume I cannot do the job. It is not that complicated. They are the very reason I am putting myself forward for the job.

Thank you and stay blessed, always!

Side note: This article by photographer Sophie Ebrard puts this struggle into a much better perspective of how as women we struggle to get the job, keep the job and still strive to raise our children in healthy environments.

#SupportingWorkingMums

Project: Fallen Petals

Fallen Petals (2019) – Part of the ‘Remnants’ series

In a flower shop with a friend and I spot these petals on the window display. They looked beautiful, but they also symbolised how fleeting life is. Their life as being part of a whole flower ended that day. They never got to leave the shop to adorn someone’s space.

Just for this moment, I got to enjoy their beauty, as I knew they would soon be discarded to make way for the next fresh batch of fallen petals.

#RemnantsProject