Photography and Childcare

I had been taking photos before my child was born, but I didn't think about what I wanted to take, I just took what I thought was nice. During that time, I was able to face myself in a relaxed manner, taking pictures or not, depending on my feelings, and it was a great time, but after my child was born, all I wanted to take pictures of was my child. It was more like a sense of mission that I had to take pictures, rather than just wanting to take pictures. Why is that? The reason is that children, especially babies, grow every day.

Eventually, my arms will reach above my head, and my baby's hair will thin out. I'm forgetful and can't keep a diary, so I wanted to record my memories of this growth. So I started an Instagram account to keep a childcare diary.

There I found the empathy I wanted most after becoming a mother, and a place where I could connect with people who love photography;

Taking photos of my children allows me to record their growth, and when I take cute photos it helps me feel satisfied when I feel a bit tired from raising them. I also make other family members happy when I send them the photos, and it allows me to connect with people over the commonality of loving photography.

And even now, when I look back at the photos from that time, my heart still warms. That's why for me, photography and child-rearing are very closely related, and both have saved me, and I think they will continue to be a source of support for me.

Profile/Etsuko Aibu

Mother of two sisters, living in Aichi Prefecture. With over 70,000 followers on Instagram, she has support from all age groups. She captures the precious days she spends with her children on camera and posts them to Instagram. Her photography skills are such that she won the Excellence Award in the Sigma Photo Contest in 2015. Her first photo book, "Aimokawarazu," is currently on sale. Since 2020, she has been the advisor for the "Manazashi Photo Club" organized by Balance Lab.

https://www.instagram.com/aimue

Participated in the 2019 CURBON photo exhibition THE STORY / 2019 photo exhibition still held / Lecturer at workshops and talk shows sponsored by Canon / Shooting catalogues with the Canon eoskissx10i