Letting Go

In late autumn these seed pods cling to their branch, braving icy winds and storms of snow and sleet. Finally, they will release their grip and drift to a new place. How do they know when to let go? The decision is made for them by their environment: a combination of temperature change, the dryness of the air, and the passage of time. In our lives, circumstances present us with necessary change as well. So often, it is hard to let go.

Transformation

Like something out of science fiction, the monarch caterpillar enters this strange looking chamber, emerging months later as a completely different creature.
It is easy to think in terms of strange vs. normal, common vs. unusual, mundane vs. remarkable.
But if we put away our preconcieved notions we may realize that every facet of life is truly miraculous.

Ruins / Crocus in Snow

The first day of spring finally arrived after a long winter. The air smelled alive again and the crocuses dared to bloom. Soon after, however, the weather turned once again and the snow covered the fallen flowers like sand covering ancient ruins. Still, even in their frozen state, the flowers were signs of hope. Spring had sprung once this year – it would soon spring again!

Broken Shell

There are times in my life when fears cause me to retreat, like a snail going into its shell. I saw this shell and it seemed to me a symbol of personal transformation. The shell looked as if it had been broken out of – from the inside out. I know that this isn’t the case – but the mind seizes on visual images to express things when words fall short.

For Granted

There is so much that we take for granted. It has only been for the last century or so that running water has been common. Much of the world still cannot count on easy access to clean water. The lighting in this photo highlights the golden nature of this blessing that we so often take for granted.

Bleeding Hearts at Night

It was night and I was turning out the lights to go to bed when I thought about the flowers in the vase on the table. All the beauty of those flowers still exists once the light is gone – but we just can’t see it. Giving into the temptation to take a few more photos before bed. I set up my camera on a tripod on the table, selected a long exposure, and then “painted” the flowers with a flashlight. The effect was moving – the beauty of the flowers complimented the night’s darkness.

Forget-Me-Not

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We like things to be permanent. We put photos behind glass, and other items in glass cabinets. Meanwhile, the world around us is able to let go of yesterday and generates beauty on an ongoing basis. These flowers are now long gone. While I pause and take satisfaction in the way this photo has made the flowers permanent, the natural world focuses on creating the next batch of flowers.

Green Shell

This shell has always been a part of my life. It is my mother’s favourite shell, and for as long as I can remember it sat on the mantle of my childhood home. All these years later, it is still a brilliant green. It was only after photographing the shell that I could see, in the photograph, the tiny cracks that reveal the shell’s age.

Dandilion Field

Leaf in Rain

Queen Anne's Lace in Evening

Bee Close Up

Bees in Crocus

Bee in Flower

Lily Up Close

Flower in Hand

Fiddlehead Ferns

Out for a walk in the early morning, I noticed the sun shining through the trees and illuminating this cluster of fiddlehead ferns. In the bottom left corner of the photo, there is the hole of some small creature. I imagine being that small, with the fiddle heads growing above like trees in what looks to me like an alien landscape.

Into the flower

This photo gives me a sense of how the flower must look to a bee. For you and me, a flower is a small item to be admired from a distance, but to some creatures entering it, it must seem to be an entire world.