It’s now just over a year since all this madness began, since all our lives changed and I don't think anyone had any idea we would still be where we are today. I still find it hard to fathom it all. 

But here we still are, and instead of sharing a beautiful wedding, I am looking back to last year and beginning this blog post with an image of a beautiful (and precious at the time) quilted loo roll, in what was my old and not so beautiful bathroom.

During the first lockdown I wondered my local neighbourhood and the empty streets of Bristol city centre with my camera (in my allowed exercise time of course). It was eerie, yet peaceful, solemn, yet sparked with little bits of life and light, like the colourful rainbows and messages of hope in people’s windows. On my walks I saw so much creativity and support. Teddy bear hunts with teddies placed in windows for children to spot on their walks, chalked messages of hope on pavements and games like hopscotch, which I just couldn’t walk past without a hop, skip and a jump. Self-help books left out for passers by to take, and caring messages stuck to lampposts just asking, are you ok?

Now three lockdowns in, we’ve almost settled into lockdown living, Netflix, group video calls, essential shopping trips with the adapted phone, wallet, keys… mask check on our way out the door. Although we now don't have a shortage of loo rolls and pasta, there is still so much missing in our lives and winter lockdown days have been hard. The first lockdown was scary, unknown days and weeks, which turned into months. I’d forgotten how surprisingly busy I was back then, working night shifts at my local supermarket, moving house and also volunteering with a catering company I used to work for, working for the organisation Food4Heroes, distributing meals for NHS workers on the frontline.

Looking back at these snaps I took a year ago now, it was Spring that helped light up those days. So, this Sunday the clocks are changing which means longer days, picnics, dreamy evenings, and soon six people can meet outdoors and summer is coming!! I’m over the moon to be able to get back to work next week photographing families again, and weddings will be slowly back on the scene and hopefully in full swing come the end of June.

Hoping that we're now heading in the right direction.

Stay Covid safe, and I am looking forward to a big party when this is finally over, we all deserve it.xx

DSC_0599 DSC_0587 DSC_0589 DSC_0745 DSC_0732 DSC_0701 DSC_0593 DSC_0736 DSC_0743 DSC_0744 18-Laura Crouchley 27-Laura Crouchley 36-Laura Crouchley DSC_0766 DSC_0770 DSC_0777 DSC_0906 DSC_1042 DSC_1054 DSC_1066 DSC_1149 DSC_7368 DSC_7372 DSC_7382 DSC_7386 DSC_7389 DSC_7392 DSC_7395 DSC_7397 DSC_7404 DSC_7419 DSC_7477 DSC_7441 DSC_7447 DSC_7450 DSC_7460 DSC_7467 DSC_7472 DSC_7421 DSC_7487 DSC_7493 DSC_7508 DSC_7523 DSC_7528 DSC_7529 DSC_7531 DSC_7534 DSC_7537 DSC_7577 DSC_7596 DSC_7605 DSC_7613 DSC_7614 DSC_7617 DSC_7619 DSC_7625 DSC_7639 DSC_7649 DSC_7654 DSC_7655 DSC_7658 DSC_7673 DSC_7677 DSC_7686 DSC_7690 DSC_7700 DSC_7711 DSC_7712 DSC_7740 DSC_7747 DSC_7792 DSC_7823 DSC_7841 DSC_7873 DSC_7878 DSC_7881 DSC_7888 DSC_7891 DSC_7906 DSC_7924 DSC_7936 DSC_7998 DSC_8009 DSC_8020 DSC_8044 DSC_8070 DSC_8099 DSC_8108 DSC_8110 DSC_8116 DSC_8120 DSC_8123 DSC_8126 DSC_8146 DSC_8148