Springtime [photographs and reflections on nature and life]

Hi there! I hope you are doing great.

I've recently decided to pick up photography again. I must say, I have chosen the most wonderful time to do so. The smells, the bright colors, the sound of the birds chirping in the trees overhead and the gentle warmth of the sun shining onto my skin... For all of these reasons, spring has become my favorite season. For me, the blossoming of the flowers always marks the end of a winter that seems to linger on forever. It never ceases to surprise me how much my mood is affected by the weather and the time of the year. Winter is mostly rainy and grey here in France, which is why it can be so refreshing when the flowers bloom and the sun starts peaking its head again.

Don't you find it incredible how creative nature can be? So many shapes, colors, smells and even personnalities. The very fact that nature created life is a miracle in itself, but that it did in so many forms is unbelievable. I like to think that nature gets credit for all of the creativity and beauty there may be in my photographs. In my mind, the photographer is only here to capture it and honor it.

Apart from the creativity and beauty it lays out for all of us to see, there is another reason why spring has become my favorite season. Anytime we arrive to springtime, I am reminded that dark times, very much like winters, are not meant to last forever, even if it feels like they will. Springtime is for me a time of hope, a time when I can believe there is a better future lying ahead. It is also a time when I can believe in the necessary character of dark times in order to grow. There is no spring without winter, and no noticing the beauty of spring without it either.

Of course, good moments, springs or summers are as transient as tough times or winters are, and I believe it doesn't need to be a sad conclusion. Resting in this fact allows us to be present to our life, and to be grateful. As importantly, it allows us to be at peace when the wheel turns once again. How many times have I brought more suffering to myself when it did turn, because I thought that my happy mood would last forever, too? It gets tricky both ways. Wherever you are in your life, then, I hope that you can find some comfort and peace in the idea that all things are ephemeral, and that you can use the wisdom of nature to walk through the seasons of your own life. :)

Much love. x