Princesses and superheroes: As children’s birthdays are celebrated

EVERY DAY PHOTOGRAPHERS AROUND THE WORLDlooking for new ways to tell stories or to capture what we previously did not notice. We choose interesting photo projects and ask their authors what they wanted to say. This week we are publishing the project "Birthday Wishes", which was shot by a photographer from Brisbane Nathalie McComas. For several months she photographed children's birthdays, trying to understand whether to really feel happy, modern children need endless cakes, crazy catering, dishes with portraits of their favorite cartoons and an obligatory giant trampoline in the backyard.

When I was in high school, my grandfather gave me his old film Pentax. I remember, I spent days without a break, sorting out the settings, I was absolutely fascinated by the magic of the dark room and the way the pictures appeared. Since I shot those first few films, I have not doubted for a single day that becoming a photographer is the only way for me. I am glad that I never doubted myself and my abilities, but simply went to my goal. After school, I moved from New South Wales to Brisbane to study photography at Griffith University. It was a serious step - to abandon the relaxed rural lifestyle and move to the city. At that moment, the whole world opened up before me, I, like a sponge, absorbed everything new, took pictures and could not stop.

In 2005, when I graduated from the university, I was just shooting the project "Birthday Wishes". More than anything, I love documentary photography and cinema; I like to see how other people live, get to know them and be inspired by their stories. And then I worked as a swimming instructor for children from a year to seven years old. The work was awesome, and I had excellent friendships with both the children and their parents. Every Saturday, the guys came to the training and enthusiastically told me about the birthday parties that they go on this weekend or that they themselves arrange for their parents. They did not miss a single detail, and every time I was amazed at how big and gorgeous children are now celebrating birthdays. Then I began to ask my parents if they could come to the party and take pictures, and they gladly agreed, and then they told friends about me and helped me find other interesting holidays. For eight months I went to 35 children's birthday parties.

There is nothing wrong with celebrating a birthday on a grand scale, but one should not forget that children can enjoy simple things. Sometimes they have enough peer company and fantasy to have a great time. If you arrange a simple party, this does not mean that the guests will leave dissatisfied, the birthday boy will not feel special, and the birthday will not be remembered by him until the end of his life. Arrange every year expensive holidays with a bunch of scenery and fashionable catering, in my opinion, not necessarily. But I do not insist, this is my personal opinion.

I have a birthday a week before Christmas, so I note it quite rarely. Everyone is too busy preparing for Christmas. As a child, the party in honor of my birthday looked like a family dinner, which was attended by grandparents. Mom baked a delicious cake in the form of numbers, or grandmother brought her own chocolate cake. Sometimes I invited a few friends to play. Although when I was five or six years old, my parents gave me a birthday with a meal from McDonald's. I had a pool party too. But best of all, of course, I remembered moments when it was necessary to open presents - they were always packed in Christmas paper.

Pool Party for 12-year-old Cecilia

Duration: 2 hours. Budget: $ 10 per person. Guests: 13 children. Cecilia's mom: “I remember my own birthdays, because I felt special about them. I think that this is the most important thing - to make the birthday boy understand that he is the main character on this day. I think birthday is more important than Christmas or Easter".

Princess Party for 4-year-old McKealy

Preparation: 10 hours of shopping on the eve of the party. Guests: 40 children and 15 adults. Spending: castle trampoline, machine for making cotton candy, pinata, food, drinks and candy for guests. Budget: $ 950. Mom McKealy: “We spent more today than usual, but I myself decided so. Recently, McDonald’s have become increasingly popular, where you just have to pay for the number of guests and that's it - they’ll have a party. Such holidays are popular among working parents who have no time to organize everything on their own. "

6 year old chloe's birthday

Preparation: four weeks. Guests: 20 children. Budget: $ 350. Chloe's mom: "My daughters and I agreed that we will hold such parties in turns. Next year is Chloe's sister's turn."

Party with the magician for 9-year-old Mitchell

Preparation: week. Guests: 28 children. Budget: $ 500, of which $ 260 is for a 40-minute mage performance.

Superhero party for 5-year-old Ryan

Duration: 3 hours. Guests: 8 children. Budget: $ 100.

Rainbow Party for 5-year-old Lisa

Preparation: for half a year parents invented a theme and looked for inspiration in gift shops. Guests: 30 children and 50 adults. Duration: 4 hours. Budget: $ 600. Liza's mom: “When I was little, we had a lot of money, so I just had a cake for my birthday. When I became a little older, I could invite one friend to McDonald's. Now I enjoy the opportunity to plan parties. For me, this is an event that the whole family is going to, someone is helping with food, others are inflating balloons - in short, everyone is involved in creating a holiday. "

Space party for 3-year-old Will

Will is the only child in the family. The party was celebrated at the family house in Hamilton. Preparation: 4 weeks. Guests: 65 people. Spending: invitations, catering, akvagrim, master of ceremonies, gifts for guests, a cake, decorations, waiters, a balloon machine, table and chair rent. Budget: $ 2,200.

Barbie Party for 4-year-old Montana

Spending: table decoration. Guests: 18 children. Budget: $ 200.

Disco Party for 6-year-old Matthew

Matthew is the only child in the family. A party in his honor was held in the family house in Yerong. Preparation: the day before the holiday. Guests: 60 children and 30 adults. Duration: 2 hours. Spending: disco balls, smoke machine, food and drinks. Budget: $ 300. Mother Matthew: "Every year we celebrate differently - in the past there was a party with Hungry Jacks (Australian version of Burger King. - Ed.). Matt is our only son, and we think this is a great way to thank his friends and relatives. for their support by inviting them all to a party. "

Joint party on the occasion of the three years of Kayla, Caleb and Buddy

Kayla, Caleb and Buddy are raised in foster care. Guests: 35 people. Budget: $ 200 for renting a giant trampoline in the form of a castle for 4 hours. Adoptive mother Kayla: "I think it is very important to organize real parties for children - I have all of them; most of them have never organized a party before. I always try to organize a party that children would like rather than entertain would be adult guests. "