Once Again — Donna Hopkins

I’ve taken some version of this picture several times over the last few summers. The photo varies based on where the farmer plants the flower field. This year it’s in a perfect spot, photographically speaking. With the silo and barn in the background. It’s not easy to photograph Zinnias or Black-eye Susans on a hot summer day. Those bright colors, richly saturated, can appear as big blobs of colors when recorded on a digital sensor. It takes a little finesse to edit this type of photo so that the color is still vibrant and the details become visible. I’m never quite sure I’ve got it right, but I love trying.

Taking the same picture over and over reminds me of a lesson I’ve learned. My whole life can change in a year. I know now that I deserve to live a life that is mine. Full of lightness, full of choice, full of the love I never expected but always knew I needed.