Long after the colour fades

Scene from a valley
London, ON
October 2023
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It’s been a few weeks since I took this, and if I returned to the scene today I’m certain the only colours left would be various shades of grey and murk.

Yet I still find myself wandering through my recent photo roll and cherrypicking individual images, seemingly the ones with the most colour possible.

Why is that?

I’m guessing I don’t want to move on from autumn. That if I immerse myself in the shades of the now-lost season, I won’t have to deal with the emptiness that comes afterward.

Or the unpredictability of life outside the viewfinder. Because we all know when it’s just you and the camera and the subject, the rules of optics and composition are known quantities, and you get to control everything you see through the glass.

Or the inexplicable comfort of returning to the things that once brought us joy. Because who doesn’t look at an autumn-blazed tree without even a hint of a smile?

Or maybe there’s no answer at all. Maybe what we choose to do with our photos - review them, share them, let them gather dust, whatever - is an entirely personal choice, one that isn’t right or wrong, but just is.

Maybe I’m just overthinking this. It’s okay if it’s just an insignificantly pretty picture of a moment that’s since faded.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #tree #trees #leaves #texture #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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