Do you have a family table where you enjoy your meals? Where you have a quiet coffee in the morning before the kids are up? Or a cheeky glass of wine at after the kids are asleep? A table where you throw your mail/groceries/bags on when you walk in the house? A table where you gather to celebrate birthdays and holidays? A table where homework, crafts and work gets done? A table where you sit with a friend and talk over a cuppa? A table where you kiss the kids goodbye at before they run out the door? A table that you see and walk by everyday, but you don’t actually use to eat at? A table where conversations are shared, laughter is had, tears are shed at? A table that holds your memories???

If you answered yes, I want to capture it!

Sixty years ago, the average dinnertime was 90 minutes. Today, it is less than 12 minutes.

I find the 90 minutes verses 12 minutes so fascinating. Times have changed so much!

What does this 90 minutes versus 12 minutes say about time with our children? What does it say about our daily happenings? Obviously this supports our noisy, busy lives today. For many, family mealtime has been lost in our overscheduled lives. School, work schedules and extracurricular activities can make it difficult to find time to eat together and some go days or weeks without sitting down as a family to share a meal.

Does your family have meals together? Do you text your children when a meal is ready and then eat looking at devices? Do you walk by the table to eat together on the sofa? Do you eat one handed while holding a newborn? Does your family eat in shifts throughout the evening?

These are all the stories I want to capture while exploring the family table and how it is used today. All that happens around it, on it or near it, and the MANY memories it holds.

A year ago, I set out on this project with the intention of following one family ‘around the table’ for a year, but we all know what happened last year and to all of our good intentions! I used my time in lockdown to think about this project and how I’d like it to look going forward and have decided that rather than follow one family, I’d love to photograph multiple families to see the similarities and differences in how they spend time around the table.

I’m looking for 20-30 families to take part in this project for a one-off session. I will come to your home at a specified time of the day to capture you AROUND THE TABLE (or not around the table if that’s how your family lives!).

These sessions will be entirely unscripted, unposed, undirected. I will simply shadow your family on a normal day and document the story unfolding at your table. This style is sometimes known as family photojournalism.

For these free sessions, you will be required to sign a model release for all family members, so that I may use the images in my portfolio, on my website and social media, as well as a model release for them to be used in my stock portfolio. As a thank-you for helping me, you will receive all of the high-resolution digital files from our session (10-15 images).

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Sessions will be short (15-20 min). They will be scheduled in advance, but will take place at various times of the day depending on your family (early morning through to evening).

• Families can be traditional, step-families, same-sex, single parents, with or without children, old or young.

• Ethnic diversity is important and I welcome family traditions as part of the everyday story.

• Good natural light near your table is a must.

• Families must live within 45 minutes of Mornington.

If you are interested in applying for these free sessions, please fill out the form below.

I will be accepting applications for the next few weeks and will make my decisions based on my portfolio needs, and as such applicants may be asked to submit photos of their family and table in their home. Thank you for your interest and I look forward to learning more about you and your family’s table!

Jenny is a natural light, lifestyle and documentary photographer and specialised newborn photographer, maternity photographer and family photographer. She services all areas of Victoria, including inner Melbourne suburbs such as Richmond, Northcote, Fitzroy, Collingwood, Malvern East, South Melbourne, Elwood, as well as outer south eastern subrubs, bayside areas such as Morntington, Sorrento and Red Hill. She also services the west of Melbourne and will travel to Geelong on request.