Photo + Video Story - Kids in The Wheat

Seeking Magic in Everyday Moments

These tiny moments become so much bigger and more significant as time passes.

A few months ago, wheat started sprouting in our paddocks, a happy accident from seeds spilled by the chicken tractors we move around the property. One late afternoon, the golden light was low in the sky, and there wasn’t a breath of wind—rare for our place. The rain from a few weeks before had left the land green and alive, buzzing with insects and the quiet hum of growth.

The kids were playing near the wheat, and the light was just too good to ignore. I grabbed my camera, let the kids (and the cat, who always seems to join in) play freely, and began shooting stills and video. The footage isn’t perfectly steady, but there’s something raw and real about it that I love. Kids move fast, so I followed their lead, capturing the spontaneity of the moment.

Living in a fire-prone area where fires have swept through twice in three years, there’s something profoundly reassuring about green grass and the ease that rain brings. These small, unplanned moments feel even more precious when life is so shaped by the seasons and the environment.

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Why I Can't Not Shoot

One of my goals for this year is to shoot and share more personal work. After 20 years as a photographer, I still feel that magnetic pull to capture magic when I see it, but too often, personal projects end up neglected on a hard drive while client work takes priority.

There’s also a tension between my love for shooting and my desire to spend less time on screens. I want to create without being tethered to endless editing. But moments like these—when light, movement, and atmosphere align—are too powerful to ignore. If I don’t shoot, I’ll find myself replaying the scene in my mind for days.

I love what I do, not just as a job but as a way of life. The joy of seeking and capturing magic is something I’m grateful for every day. This year, I dream of working with more clients who share this vision—bringing the same spontaneity and joy to lifestyle shoots for others.

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Behind the Scenes

This series was shot on my Canon R5, with stills edited in Lightroom and video clips pieced together in Premiere Pro. These days, I always create two versions of a video: one for vertical platforms like Instagram and another for horizontal viewing on the web.

Sometimes, cropping a horizontal video to fit a vertical format can be frustrating, as it often cuts out the very elements that make the shot work. To experiment, I’ve been combining horizontal clips in creative ways to fill the vertical space—pairing two or three clips together or using a still frame from the footage as a background.

What do you think? Does this stacked vertical style look ok as a ‘vertical work-around’, or does it feel too busy? Do you prefer vertical videos, or do you find horizontal ones more impactful? I’d love to hear your thoughts as I refine my approach.

Honey xx

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