I once thought that beauty was a lot of things: a gorgeous sunset, an intricate design of a snowflake, or the face of a significant other. Like many, I believed beauty to be tangible but, unfortunately, fleeting. I fathomed beauty to be as a shooting star, a bright beacon of light glimmering across the sky. Imagine standing there nearly falling over backwards gawking, with mouth open and eyes filled with wonder at such a delightful spectacle in the night canopy above. Then seconds later, it would vanish out of sight never to be seen again, but leaving a lasting impression. That’s what I considered beauty to be—a tangible fleeting quality held captive by time—but I was wrong. Beauty has no limited qualities. In fact, beauty never fades and, in its purest form, it is timeless.
For as long as the beholder finds beauty in anything, so
shall it then abide in a thing or person they see. It is all in how something
is perceived. The minute one ceases to see beauty in anything, the lasting joy,
comfort, and peace of mind that coexists with beauty no longer exist. Think
about one’s own admiration of art, whether it is a painting, a photograph or
even sculpture. No two people will always like the same work of art; the level
of beauty in the piece on display will differ from viewer to viewer. Some may
consider it a wonderful sight to behold while others may think it is pure
rubbish. One who finds beauty in a work of art is often moved by an array of
emotions. The number of emotions is endless, yet such emotions can trigger
happy memories (just as memories would trigger emotions) that once were a
reality. However, once the viewer no longer finds that work of art beautiful,
those evoked emotions fade as a passing memory into the recesses of the mind.
Hellen Keller said it best in this quote:
“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or
touched—
they must be felt with the heart.”
Whether it is a person or thing, no matter the situation
that life can unexpectedly bring to our doorsteps —there is beauty in what can
be seen. However, it takes a change in our perceptions to truly understand to
see the beauty in all that surrounds us.
How often do we take a moment to pause and just observe our
surroundings? We understand beauty by merely observing the world around us, do
we not? Nature is full of teachers who are anxiously waiting to instruct us
about beauty. Flowers are common scholars in the school of nature-made beauty.
However, there is one flower that is considered to be an icon of beauty—the
rose. For centuries the rose has been an icon of beauty. It has been the muse
of many writers, artists, lyricists, musicians, and photographers alike. The
rose is considered (in some cultures) to be the most revered flower that is
often thought of as the epitome of what true beauty is. But can this notion
continue to ring true even as this elegant flower fades?
As a flower fades, its color, elegance, and soft appearance diminish.
However, its beauty doesn’t change—it fades and is perceived in a rather
different light. Parts of the flower become exposed in its latter stages of
life that one wouldn’t necessarily notice at first while the flower was in full
bloom. The petals take on a more organic shape and are less recognizable than
the original form they once held. Even the core of the flower becomes more revealed
as the wilted petals fall away one by one. It is then we see the structure of
how the petals are arranged and how the flower itself is built. Often the
fading flower is seen as an ugly and horrid representation or even a figment of
the flower that it once was. Many would deem it undesirable and even as an
insult if one were to receive a lifeless flower as a gift.
Such a notion calls into question one thing: are they then
still beautiful? Popular opinion would deem them not beautiful at all because
the flower has lost its essence of what is considered pure beauty. I disagree.
Watching roses bloom is a joy, yet watching them shrivel and
fade is just as fascinating. It’s when beauty speaks its loudest and when the
hidden parts of a flower’s core are revealed. It reminds me of what humanity
undergoes on its journey through life. Life can be as one big stretch of road
littered with triumphs, struggles and processes that cause us to bloom bit by
bit. The beauty of living life is that amidst the hardships that arise, those
hidden qualities that God planted at the core center of the soul is revealed—no
matter how much life’s obstacles attempt to break us down. Having a positive
outlook allows one to know and believe that there is much to gain, rather than
concentrating on what has been lost. Even at our lowest state of being, the
true beauty of who we are and what we are truly made of is revealed—thus, a
renaissance or a rebirth of self takes place. That’s quite a beautiful thought
to conceive.
In this book, I have compiled a series of photographs I’ve
taken of roses that were wilted, shriveled, dried up and some having no petals
at all. In spite of the fading state of these roses, their beauty still
remained just as bold and vibrant as ever. Such natural beauty is often
overlooked or invisible to many (including myself) mainly due to being
conditioned to think fading beauty has no face value. It simply took the effort
of changing my perception to view these roses as beautiful. Ultimately their beauty
never lost its true face value. Beauty doesn’t fade at all; it is all in how it
is perceived that determines if it exists or not in our minds and hearts.
Beauty is only fleeting or lasts for more than a lifetime only when one
perceives it as such. Timeless beauty is priceless. Passing it daily, we often
forget to stop and take notice because we are too consumed with the worries and
cares of life. Yet, beauty never ceases to beckon us nearer, to take a closer
look at what its true essence entails. It’s not just enough to stop and smell
the roses; we have to learn how to sit down and listen to what they have to
say. It just may change your perception about your take on the beauty of life.
Better yet, it may very well change each of us into a stronger person in spite
of the hardships life gives us. That’s simply the beauty of living life.
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ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
As a graphic designer turned photographer, Michelle Holder has been taking photos for four years. For this Washington D.C. native, photography began as a hobby. Eventually, it grew into an ongoing enlightening experience where she learned various ways of storytelling and communication through a single image. Much like in her paintings, drawings and even within some of her graphic design work, her photography often contains dynamic composition that provokes thought and emotion from the viewer. Having a well-rounded background within the fine arts (particularly painting and drawing), and design, has contributed to her unique shooting style (such as strong color palette, dynamic composition and direct underlining messages for the viewer). Currently she resides and works in Upper Marlboro, Maryland (USA), where she enjoys other interests and activities such as; writing, reading, painting, drawing, cinema and enjoying the company of family and friends.
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WHERE TO BUY THE BOOK
You can purchase the book in the online bookstore at www.blurb.com and for more information about the book be sure to visit my book website for the photography series at
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