The Longest Night

The night is dark and deep. December 21, the longest night. Relish it and the hope that comes with it, knowing December 22 will burn just a little bit brighter. We will stop retreating from the light, will inch mere seconds closer to summer, to light and warmth and rebirth.

Today marks the beginning of winter, but winter is not the death of things. Autumn is the death of things, with its decay and rot, crunchy dead leaves and fading colors while the sun retreats into itself.

Winter marks the freeze, the long held breath between death and life. The pause between loss and new birth. We need the long night, the quiet calm, to gather into ourselves. To embrace the freeze.

Don’t rush, long night. I will sit with you. I will close my eyes and hold your hand in the dark, and wait for the sun.

If you’re wondering what this has to do with family photography, the long answer is that December 21 is the day with the least amount of light in the northern hemisphere, and photographers need light to make photographs. As a natural light photographer, I’ve been mourning the loss of light since time change made the sun set before 5pm each night. I relish the thought of longer days starting immediately, even if they’re only a few seconds longer to start. The cycle is reversing and soon there will be 12 hours of daylight and I can make all the photographs I want.

The short answer is that it doesn’t have anything to do with family photography. Sometimes I just like to write my feelings and post them places for people to find them.