EACH WEEK, A different Irish parent chats us through a family photo from Instagram and explains what was really going on outside the frame – from tantrums to toilet disasters.

Fancy taking part? Email amy@thejournal.ie with a few lines about yourself and your kids for a chance to feature.

Gillian Black Gillian Black

This week, Gillian Black (@mummylovesstyle) filled us in on what’s happening behind the scenes in a picture of her with her three daughters at the airport. 

Tell us a bit about this photo. What inspired you to take it? 

We were at the airport, just about to go on our annual family holiday. We had an evening flight, so all day was spent organizing the final bits for packing. I wanted a photo with my girls to remember how happy we were at this moment, to capture the excitement and to never forget it.

What’s one thing that’s going on in this photo that you wouldn’t know from looking at it?

It was a very stressful day trying to pack the last few bits. I find packing very stressful and when you’re packing for a family of five, it isn’t for the faint-hearted! The girls were so excited and kept asking, ‘when are we going?’ while I was trying to squeeze in the last few bits and make sure we hadn’t forgotten anything.

I was feeling extremely burnt out. I find it hard and almost impossible to get stuff done each day outside the normal daily chores. People say to write a list of what to pack and I always have, but each year our packing requirements change as the kids are different ages.

Did it take many attempts to get the right shot?

My husband took three photos and each was as good as the next. This is a rarity and normally requires several photos as someone is pulling a face or looking the other way.

What do you love about this photo?

I love it as we genuinely are all just so happy. I think it captures the moment perfectly. Happiness is beaming from our faces, we are so excited and I am so relieved I have done it yet again. I’ve organised it all against the odds of a very energetic toddler this year and booking the holiday last minute with only a few weeks to go. 

Was there any editing done to the photo before it was posted?

Not to this photo. The sunlight was just perfect. In photos taken in my house, there will always be a messy pile of laundry or toys that you can’t see. I don’t use filters on Instagram but I might manually tweak the colours or sharpness if required.

How well does this photo reflect your family life in general?

This is us at our best, going on holidays and escaping real life. Day-to-day life is crazy busy. Some days are like fairy tales, others are insanity. Instagram isn’t real life, I know that, and everyone just needs to remember that everyone shares only what they want the world to see.