#51. The Circle of Life: How Nature Photography Connects Grief and Hope

Gepubliceerd op 22 juni 2025 om 07:00

A Leaf. A Crack. A Glimmer of Light.

A decaying leaf, a delicate crack in the ice, a glimmer of light.
This is where it began for me.

In 2017, during a photography course in the Netherlands, my attention settled on a quiet, easily missed moment: a faded bouquet, long past its prime. Yet in the interplay of light and fracture, it seemed to breathe again. That single image marked more than a creative spark - it became a turning point. The beginning of Circle of Life, my first artistic series, inspired by a line from Paulo Coelho.

“You may think you are dying, but you live in me.
Your life is in my life; we are one.”


That quote gave form to a grief I hadn’t yet dared to name. Three years earlier, I had lost my mother. Her absence left a silence I couldn’t navigate — until I began to see her presence echoed in the natural world.

 

That image became more than a composition.
It became a mirror.
A moment of quiet recognition.
A beginning.

Frozen in Time, Yet Full of Life

Nature photography can hold what language often cannot: both beauty and pain, side by side.
The frozen leaf offered a metaphor for how loss and life continue to coexist.
A moment of fragility - yet full of quiet strength.

Years later, I returned to that theme in Frozen Memories - a project where I photographed funeral flowers and keepsakes suspended in ice: a lily, a fading rose, a thread of green.
Not just objects, but offerings.
A way of saying: I remember. I feel. I continue.

From Stillness to Story

Both Circle of Life and Frozen Memories became turning points in my journey. Not only as a photographer, but as a human being learning to live with grief. These series wove together my love for abstraction, storytelling, and the quiet healing of the natural world.

These early works also planted the seeds for what would become the Earth Embrace method - a mindful, intuitive way of seeing. A slowing down. An invitation to let nature mirror what quietly moves within us.

When I return to these images now, I no longer see just loss.
I see light - filtering through.
I see space - for breath, for presence, for healing.

A Quiet Invitation

Even in winter stillness, there is quiet movement beneath the surface.
Even in grief, there is breath. There is light.

What are you holding onto?
What image, memory, or moment might you gently let thaw?

Take a walk.
Notice one small thing today that reflects something within you.
Let it speak - without needing to explain.

If these words or images resonate with you, you’re warmly invited to explore more of the Earth Embrace collection.
May it offer you space, softness, and light - just when you need it most.

Feel the Healing Touch of Earth Embrace

Experience the stillness, warmth, and energy of Mother Earth through Nanda’s Healing Nature Photography.

🖼️ Bring nature’s serenity into your space – My photographs are available as:
🌿 Art prints via ArtHeroes (Werk aan de Muur) (Europe)
🌎 Fine art pieces via Fine Art America (Worldwide)

 

Choose a captivating fine art print that speaks to your soul, or find an image that reflects your personal journey. If you're searching for something more intimate, I also offer low-resolution images for memorial cards, prayer cards, and other meaningful keepsakes. Need guidance or a custom suggestion? Feel free to reach out - I’d love to help you find the perfect piece.

Have something special in mind? Send me an email, and let’s find an image that truly speaks to you.

 

📸 Stay connected and inspired:

🔹 Website 🔹 LinkedIn 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Facebook 

 

Copyright © 2025 Nanda Bussers, All rights reserved.

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