what has the camera captured

The camera has captured a happy moment from the childhood of the poet's mother. Specifically, it took a photograph on a beach holiday where the poet's mother, at around twelve years old, and her two cousins Betty and Dolly are seen standing in the sea water. The poet's mother is in the middle, holding the hands of her two cousins who are standing on either side. They are smiling at the camera, capturing their joy, buoyancy, and freedom during that time. The photograph holds a fond memory of their carefree days at the beach, with the sea water washing their feet. This moment symbolizes both the happiness of youth and the bittersweet nature of memory itself, since the poet's mother later laughs at the snapshot, indicating joy mixed with a sense of loss over the passage of time and her eventual death.