One thing I discovered very early in my photographic journey is that decay can be beautiful.
Yes, there is a subtle line where something can cross that line between grotesque and stunning. But I often look for the beauty in things beyond their youth.
One thing I think about occasionally is remembering one of my favorite cartoon series as a child, The Jetsons. It took place in a world of futurism where cars flew, robots were everywhere, and all in the world was modern. But actually, in reality we have always shared a world where the old sits side by side with the new. And this is true just as much in nature as it is in cities.
About a year ago, I was on my front porch on a very cold (for Oregon) morning. At 28 degrees, I saw a Hydrangea just beside the porch with just a hint of frost along the edges. This Hydrangea is beautiful when it blooms with purple flowers that pop, but I realized in its winter hibernation, it was just as stunning, maybe in some respects, even more so. I guess the lesson is as we age, we often forget we can stay beautiful even in our supposed decay, just in different ways than in our youth. We just have to look for it.
