So I've started to build quite a pleasant relationship with Mike & Julie Safley, the founders of Oakwood Gardens, after first being assigned to photograph one of their cottages for Airbnb more than year ago. I've written about it before, so I won't get too deep into it here, but for the full alpaca-fueled story, check out this post.
In any case, one of the things they've been hiring me for has been to photograph the spectacular garden that lives on their property - 7 acres of ever-changing landscapes, scenes, plants, and animals that demonstrate the beauty, fragility and resilience of our natural planet.
When I got the call early December that they wanted their garden photographed in the winter, my initial reaction was 'huh!??'
This is, after all, the Pacific Northwest, and, well, there isn't much vibrancy and life across the gardens of this region during this time of year.
But, well, who was I to say no? It was a job and a chance to see the Safleys again.
Once I started walking around, it didn't take me long to understand the allure of what, at first glance, seems like nothing but dead plants and trees. The colors, the patterns and the subjects began to make themselves clearer the closer I got to them, and appreciating the beauty in this decay is only elevated when you stop to remind yourself that the very decay itself represents not death or the end, but rather the early stage of germination of new life.
In other words, as cliche as it sounds, once you're standing there, especially after seeing the same scenes across the seasons, this decay is not the end, it's the beginning.\
Anyhow, here are a few scenes from that winter-y stroll through Oakwood Gardens.
And feel free to go back and check out what the gardens look like in the summer.
Finally, go book yourself a room on their alpaca-laden grounds, and buy some alpaca stuff from Alpacas.com. Proceeds go to Quechua Benefit, the non-profit they founded in 1996 to help break the cycle of poverty amongst under-served communities in the highlands of Peru (which, speaking of, I recently got to spend 2 EPIC weeks in the Peruvian Highlands with Quechua Benefit…that story, and images, coming soon…)
Hope you dig…
