"Summer's End" 

Merit Image 2020 PPOC-BC Image Salon, Accepted Image 2021 PPOC National Image Salon

I came across this quote as I was in the bookstore looking for a new book to read. It got me to thinking about this past year and what it's been like for humanity as a whole. With so many changes in the world today - more people working from home, deciding it's time to retire, or totally switching gears and following a dream of becoming self-employed - we are always creating ourselves.

One thing I have learned this past year is that I know myself better than I have ever known me in the six decades I've spent on this planet. I think it has a lot to do with the time now spent not going anywhere! Yes, I miss travelling, don't you? But I consider myself lucky to be able to read and transport myself into the realm of the fictional world as a way to relax and de-stress. I seem to be drawn to those bestsellers that have characters who struggle and overcome, and makes me think more about the circumstances of others and what they've gone through to become who they are. Everyone has a story. 

And a great image tells a story too. I will tell you the story of how it came to be in a moment. But first, take a look up close at the texture of this image. The oil painting effect is done in Photoshop (my tools to paint are digital, but I'm dabbling in watercolour again, but that another story).

The Story Behind the Image: This one is called "Summer's End" and it was captured at the peak of colour when the fall leaves are at their best. Last fall, when I was culling through images I was considering entering into Professional Photographers of Canada-British Columbia's image competition I came across this one. It caught me by surprise at first, because I remembered taking it in 2005, fifteen years earlier, the day my mother passed away. I didn't know if I had the courage to create something out of it but the more I looked at it, the more I felt it was there for a reason. I took a deep breath, and forged ahead, hoping to find the spirit of the image (and my mother) somewhere within it. 

In honour of my mother, a school teacher, a woman of strength and deep-rooted belief that there is good in everyone, who loved maple leaves that changed colour so beautifully before they fell to the ground, I created this image. Even if you had never heard my story, I think if you were standing in a gallery, looking at this image, you could read in this image the strength and power held by this tree, in glorious colour, at the end of summer. Heading into a time of change, bravely, with strength and courage.

Where do you love to go to find your creative strength?  Let me know by replying to this email, or reaching out on Facebook or Instagram.

Until next time,

~ Terrill

PS ~ Watch for an upcoming Print Giveaway next week. Follow me on Facebook (@terrillbodnerphotography) or Instagram (@terrillbodner) and say 'Hi!" I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!