But as we draw near the winter solstice, I want to share what the holiday means to me. It is the Christmas season, and that is the name of the national holiday that businesses close for whether you celebrate the Christian holiday or not. Christmas is about the winter solstice: the longest period of darkness (night) in the year. And on the next day, the promise of LIGHT returns and days become longer again. The holiday symbolically represents the return of life when the seasonal tides shift gears in the upswing yet again. It is about renewed hope and honoring the continuing cycle of life.

The color red is the color of the root charka. Red symbolizes life, vitality, strength and the physical plane. It also represents heat and fire. Our spiritual evolution (of the current earth walk) begins at the root charka when we are in utero. It is also the base of kundalini energy later if we develop spiritually in that way. It can be a very vibrant energy and certainly placed around us in the holiday season it is meant to counteract the cold winter, the long nights when mother nature lay dormant.

But where are my presents? Abstaining from gift-giving as a moral superiority and anti-capitalistic/anti-materialistic high road is laughable at best. Giving a gift, no matter how small, is the only way to receive. It is the law of attraction at it’s best. Give love, prosperity, hope, joy, and any multitude of blessings this holiday season. If that package comes in the form of a new coat, gadget, or otherwise, that’s fantastic! It is always best to give freely with the best of intentions. And this holiday season when nature gifts us with the return of more light, we too can give. Anyone speaking to the contrary has missed the reason for the season.

My take on the holiday is more abstract: red and crosses.

RED X © 2013 NATE METZ

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These photographs were all the “rejects” that I did not select for entry in the challenge. I opted for this image of a mushroom because I believe it is much more impactful for the theme of OPPOSITES.

MUSHROOM © 2013 NATE METZ

STATS:
rank = 16th
1/125 sec, f8, ISO 200

I opted for a simple set of opposites shared in a single subject where the frame would highlight the differences. The closeness and color conversion really emphasize the theme. I received some great feedback on how the frame seems top heavy and that the top portion out of focus might have looked better as the smaller 1/3 of the frame. However, I like it as is because in the competition for your eye, it really pushes the oppositional tension between the top of the mushroom and the underside.

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Pomegranate Afternoon © 2012 NATE METZ

The post Pomegranate Afternoon appeared first on NATE METZ - Art Blog.

Translucent Study © 2012 NATE METZ

If you like any of these images, please feel free to click the Facebook button below and share it with your friends! I do enjoy getting feedback on my work no matter your level of expertise in photography as I don’t think you need an MFA or a 30 years career to enjoy great art!

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DVDominos © 2012 NATE METZ

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I\O/I © 2012 NATE METZ

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Simp-L © 2012 NATE METZ