06/27/2025
The craft of visual storytelling is being able to observe the impactful details of a scene. Whether it is landscapes, portraits, or street photography there is always a story to tell. .
This image is from a morning twilight I shot this week for a real estate client. Though I had never stepped foot on this property, nor had it been staged prior to the shoot, I was immediately drawn to these two chairs.
As the sun began to peak over the horizon, and casting soft shadows from the large picture framed window onto the rustic wooden planked floor my mind began to observe a story of Grandma's Cottage.
As I stood there listening to the song birds welcoming the dawn of a new day, my mind would hear Grandma beginning her morning routine.
The sound of water running, filling a percolator and placed on an old propane stove. Sounds of the clicking ignitor, the gurgling of the percolator and the soft footsteps of a child shuffling into the kitchen to give Grandma a hug.
You can hear the two of them whispering to each other and Grandma saying "We can't go swimming just yet, but go get yourself a cookie and come sit by the fireplace while I have my coffee....but don't tell your mom"
The cottage now has a welcoming odour of freshly brewed coffee coupled with the lingering scent of last night's campfire. Grandma goes over to the cedar blanket box and pulls out a hand knitted blanket before settling into the well worn gliding armchair with their grandchild.
The small child now nestled comfortably under the blanket, nuzzling their head into her arm as she sipped on her coffee while the rest of the family slept.
"Why do you love coming here so much?" the child would ask. "Simplicity" Grandma would reply almost immediately giving it little thought.
"What does simplicity mean?" the child asks inquisitively. Grandma takes a sip from the her favourite coffee mug, tilts her head slightly for a moment in though before sharing this example
"Imagine you have a big toy box that’s stuffed full of toys. So many toys that you can’t find your favorite one, and it’s kind of a mess. Now imagine if you had just a few toys—the ones you really love. You could find them easily, play with them more, and keep everything neat.
That’s what simplicity in life is like. It means not having too much stuff or too many things to worry about. When life is simple, you have more time to play, more space to think, and it’s easier to enjoy the little things—like a sunny day, a hug, or your favorite story.
Simplicity helps you feel calm and happy, just like when your room is clean and cozy."
With their head still cradled in Grandma's arm, and staring out the large paned glass window, the child ponders over what they just heard as they sat together in silence for a short moment.
The child then looks up at her face with a slight grin and says "Now I know why you like this room, because it is very cozy to me too and I like your hugs. Simplicity..............." and the child gives her a loving squeeze.
