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.
Nanda Bussers is a visual artist and creator of the EARTH method for intuitive and healing nature photography. Her work explores the quiet connection between nature, presence and inner stillness. Each image is an invitation to pause for a moment, to breathe more slowly, and to reconnect with the natural world, yourself and the moments that often pass unnoticed.
Bringing the presence of nature into your space
My photographs are available as art prints through ArtHeroes and Werk aan de Muur in Europe, and as fine art prints via Fine Art America worldwide. Each piece is created to carry a sense of stillness and connection, whether it offers comfort, reflection or simply a quiet moment within a space.
In addition, I offer a selection of low-resolution images for more personal uses such as memorial or prayer cards. If you feel drawn to a specific image or would like guidance in choosing something that fits your space or intention, you are always welcome to get in touch.
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Copyright © 2026 Nanda Bussers. All rights reserved.
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