Slipping Through My Fingers is a deeply personal exploration of parenthood. It's about the
quiet fear that tugs at every parent: the realization that the time we have with our children is
painfully short, that their childhood is an ever-fleeting season, and that I may not have
savored enough of it while it was here.
As parents, we often get caught in the whirlwind of life—the routines, the chaos, the
responsibilities. We think we'll remember every laugh, every milestone, every fleeting
moment. But in reality, those moments blur together, leaving behind only fragments of the
time that seemed infinite but was always slipping away.
These images are not only a tribute to my own children but to the universal experience of
parenthood—the joy, the wonder, and the heartache of watching them grow. In each
photograph, I try to capture both the beauty and the fragility of these moments, knowing that
no matter how tight I hold on, they will eventually slip away.
In the end, this project is about time—how quickly it moves, how precious it is, and how,
despite our best efforts, it always seems to escape us. It’s a reminder to slow down, to be
present, and to find grace in the fact that though these moments may slip through our
fingers, they will forever leave their imprint on our hearts.
Elisabeth Sanders
Elisabeth Sanders (b. 1982) is a Dutch photographer based near Amsterdam. A graduate of
the Amsterdam Photo Academy (2023), her work is deeply informed by her background as a
former child psychologist, where she developed a keen interest in the interplay of nature and
nurture. Her photography focuses on themes of motherhood, childhood, and family, often
exploring the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life’s intimate moments. This
overarching theme of time slipping through her fingers runs throughout her body of work.
Currently dedicated to personal projects, Elisabeth recently self-published her first book,
Always Present, Often in the Background.
www.elisabeth-sanders.com
@_elisabeth_sanders
