Afternoon Gardening

The days are getting hotter in California. We took to the backyard to escape the walls of the house & there we got to enjoy an afternoon of gardening. I’m not much of a gardener, but I am great at growing succulents.

My daughter and I spent the afternoon propagating succulents, splitting up larger pots into new containers and creating succulent arrangement in empty pots.

Naturally, I took the opportunity to capture the moment. When I was composing this image, I had it in my head to edit the image in color. I wanted to capture the green of the succulents and the vibrant coral of her hat. I wanted to see her skin touched by the sun.

But I saw the image and a wave of nostalgia washed over me. I saw my mom in her garden years ago. I thought of times that were unplugged, simpler and timeless. The image felt better as a black and white. I love the contrast of the bright sun on her hands and the strong shadows through the composition as we sheltered from the heat.

Of course, I like the colors of life too. I played around with the colors and light but the B&W won me over. The memory will remain a fond one for years to come.