Chill Branches & Piney.
I love how I can look at my nature pictures and mentally go back to when and where it was taken. Both of these pictures were taken in my parents’ backyard. Chill Branches was captured in the wintertime; Piney was captured in the springtime. On both days, I went outside looking for a muse and was having a difficult time finding one. There’s always something in nature to take a picture of, right? I was honestly frustrated because nothing was screaming for me to take its picture, or so I thought.
When Chill Branches was captured, it was a cool, cloudy day. There were no ducks or turtles out swimming, the grass needed to be cut, and it was an overall gloomy weather day. I looked at the bare tree slightly blowing in the wind and imagined I was on an island somewhere waiting for a storm to pass. After I snapped the picture, I thought it would make a great wall piece for a dentist office or a study lounge.
When Piney was captured, it was a beautiful, warm and sunny day. I was looking for birds in the trees to take pictures of, but I was too slow to capture them. I noticed how beautiful the bare branch looked in front of the bright blue sky. I snapped the picture and thought it would make a great wall piece for an office; just like I thought when I captured Chill Branches. I instantly knew Piney would be a great partner for Chill Branches.
I view objects in nature like I view human beings – meticulously designed, here for a limited time, and created for a specific purpose. Piney and photos similar to it were the only shots I captured that day, so I was disappointed in my lack of nature photography productivity. Before I put my equipment up, I decided to take a picture of myself because I my afro was poppin’. It was a chill day for me. I had on one of my favorite shirtdresses and I hadn’t combed my hair for 2 days; I felt cute & comfortable.
Even though these pictures were taken two years apart and at two different locations, they both taught me the same lesson; appreciate everything how it is. If I can appreciate and celebrate the beauty of Chill Branches and Piney, shouldn’t I appreciate and celebrate my own beauty as well? Chill Branches and Piney reminded me it was okay to be comfortable in my own skin. They reminded me to appreciate everything, and myself, just how it is, and just how I am.
Life Lesson:
· Appreciate everything how it is.
How I Apply it to My Life:
· Instead of judging something by its looks, I just appreciate it for how it is. Instead of judging myself or trying to change how I look, I just appreciate how God created me.
Song:
· Lauryn Hill – Everything Is Everything
SLIDESHOW: Me, the day Piney was taken