‘The angle of the dog, the hat and the tattoo onher foot all come together’: Trace Meek’s best phone picture
A family day in a Florida back yard was the setting for a summertime memory it would be impossible to recreate
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Grace Holliday29 Aug 2026, 10:00 amUpdated 1d ago2 min readLife and styleLife and style
Life and style — Grace Holliday
‘The angle of the dog, the hat and the tattoo on her foot all come together’: Trace Meek’s best phone picture
Trace Meek is abundantly proud of his Florida back yard. For the last 10 years, he and his wife, Lauren, have worked diligently on it. “It’s our happy place,” he says. “We live in Belleair Bluffs, and I’ve watched my son and daughter grow up playing in the dirt under our giant oak trees, swinging on the tree swing, riding their bikes and scooters on the circular path, and swimming in our pool. It’s big, with a really deep end and three water fountains that shoot over the top. We like to have a last jump into the pool before bed and, best of all, there are no iPads or TVs.”
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The family had friends visiting for 4 July celebrations when Meek took this photo on his phone. There were six adults, six children and two dogs present. Harvey, a braque français, is pictured here on Lauren’s lap.
“Harvey was four at the time. He loves to swim, and had been jumping in the pool all day, but eventually tired and climbed on to Lauren’s lap to rest,” Meek says.
Re-enacting the shot would be almost impossible, he adds, but “that’s the cool part. The angle of the dog, the hat and the cup, the tattoo on her foot, along with the vibrant colours of the raft – it all comes together. I love how the water creates shapes, too. You have to really study the image to see what it’s about.”
Lauren’s face being covered by her hat lends an air of mysteriousness that Meek also enjoys. “You can put yourself in her place and be immersed in a wonderful summertime memory; a moment when you were truly content.”
Related: ‘You can feel the warmth of the sun’: Bertram Greenhough’s best phone picture
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Source: The Guardian · Grace Holliday. Published 29 Aug 2026, 10:00 am.
