An impossible concept?

The concept for this photograph is one I had for a while, or shall I say I had the story in my creative journal for quite a while.

I wanted to have a photographic story that would allow people who had been absolutely crushed emotionally to feel that they would be heard, acknowledged and recognised.  I wanted to acknowledge those incredible people out there who have suffered so much but still head out into the world with a generous smile and a kind heart. I wanted to let those who have built walls around themselves to protect what little of their soul is left, know that there are others like them.

I wanted to honour their bravery as no one knows just how much effort is required to be kind to others after being crushed. I wanted to affirm that happiness is a choice. People who have been crushed and wish to move forward actively choose to be happy despite all they have been through. They focus their energy on believing, trusting, healing and growth. Those who can empathise with others to this level have often come through enormous pain.

This is a story that needed to be told

Developing the photograph came naturally one day through Autumn when I noticed a twisted, dried leaf on the ground. This leaf seemed to me to symbolise this pain. This leaf could serve as a visual representation of a soul who has been beaten down to the point of questioning their worth and position in the world. Holding it in my hands, I felt nothing, it had nothing left to give, as it was dry and dead it had given up, all that was left was the empty remnants of pain. It was if it had succumbed and decided it wasn’t worthy of a beautiful life. It left me feeling sad.

The message I wished to share is one of acknowledgement, but also recovery and hope. I dearly wished the leaf was green, I wish it was hurt but still had life inside. I loved the curled, twisted shape but needed it to not have given up. I searched for a few days looking through the remnants of Autumn on the ground. Hunting for the exact leaf that would fit in with my vision. Sadly many leaves that have curled no longer have any life or colour. Autumn can produce the most spectacular, vibrant colours, but what I needed wasn’t here… I had to look elsewhere.

Would you believe…

I actually have chronic sinus issues, and had extensive surgery just last week… I am really looking forward to some relief from my lifetime of sinusitis and infections. Some flowers sadly set me off, with the wrong type of flowers I can be sneezing within minutes. Some flowers for some reason don’t bother me at all.

As much as I love having flowers in my house, it is rare that I do. I did have a small bunch on my hall stand though that I had bought for a photoshoot my daughter wanted to do. I noticed they were wilted and it was time to let them go into the compost heap. Taking them outside, I saw the flowers had dried out, they were still pretty but falling apart. The leaves however I noticed had curled but were still green!! Here we go!

I just love how the things I need appear for me. There were only five leaves and one of them had the most perfect amount of curl and the right amount of colour saturation to do the job. Winning!

Kintsugi was a must in this photograph. Emotional scars can’t be seen but there needed to be an element that reflected the damage that had been done.

I chose a black background to demonstrate the weight carried. Emotional pain is a heavy weight to bear. It sits in the background, it hides in the shadows and a black background was the only option for me for this particular story and photograph.

The colour palette

Now we have a perfect colour palette of three colours, black, green and gold.

Green offers the energy of renewal, hope, wisdom, life, and healing.

Black offers the energy of protection, power, strength and authority.

Kintsugi gold offers the energy of courage, compassion, wisdom and optimism.

These colours enable me to tell this story in a positive way, to focus on the recovery and future and not the past.

The composition of this image was to be simple. Very simple. With the focus on the section closest to the camera or viewer, the past is left in the past. I chose a shallow depth of field (plane of focus) to demonstrate this. To show that our history still remains but in the background. It is a huge part of us and a big factor in creating who we are today. But as it is faded back and blurring we can leave it there to exist but not hold focus in the present moment.

The leaf being green is a huge factor. It is curled and had begun to close. Defeat was most certainly an option at one point. But the green indicates that life and love still lives here. The leaf is not dead inside, it is quite the opposite. And even though the protection process of defeat had begun, the strength inside has turned that process around.

A force to be reckoned with

The soul emerging from this wreckage will be a force to be reckoned with, and will rise with the strongest and kindest heart. They know what it is like to be at such depths and will do what they can to avoid anyone else feelings the darkness they have felt. They hold empathy for others in a similar situation and reach out their hand selflessly, offering help. They shine their light for others even though they are still gaining strength themselves. They know there is growth in giving.

There are many, many beautiful things in this world but there is nothing more beautiful than a broken soul who despite being completely crushed, continues to choose positivity and happiness. Striving for a better place. Reaching out in search of undiscovered beauty.

There is also nothing more needed in this world than a broken soul who continues to shine, being a bright lighthouse to help guide others through the storm. If you are one of those people, thank you.

Thank you so much for being here,

The Humble Hunter x

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