A little bit of nature
One of my favorite quotes — one I come back to again and again — is:
“We can complain that rose bushes have thorns, or we can celebrate that thorn bushes have roses.”
I’ve probably written about it before, but it just sticks with me. It feels so appropriate to life — and to these photos in particular. These thorn trees, stubborn and wild, were adorned with the tiniest red flowers. Not showy, but undeniably beautiful. A quiet reminder that beauty doesn’t always bloom in softness —I t often shows up right in the middle of harshness.
I had some fun editing this thorn bush a couple different ways.
These photos were all taken on our honeymoon — a seemingly random assortment, yet each one a fragment of the peaceful, unhurried days we spent surrounded by nature.
The bungalows hidden in the bushes of Mabalingwe.
If you look carefully between the bushes and greenery lining the shoreline, you might spot what looks like large boulders. Look closer—those are actually hippos. I so badly wanted to get a dramatic, close-up shot of them, but this was the best I could manage with the lens I had on hand.
This was a quiet day of slow, gentle exploration — a collection of small moments that caught my eye and stayed with me. I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the little details that stood out to me, and maybe even felt some of the calm they carried.
All photographs are copyrighted to the author ~ AJ Champz
Photography instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajchampz.photography/