Cynthia chose the photo about one of my favorite stories....


The gate took me back to a book , I read in childhood and revisited again when my son was 8 years old...he tells me that it lingers with him just as it did with me.

I really believe that books read in early childhood can shape our view on life. One such book for me was "The Secret Garden". One of the all time childrens' classics but is also truly a book that adults can find themselves engulfed in as well. While you are reading the book...you are transported into the lives the children and their secret garden. The book describes an entrance to this special place covered with ivy...hidden from the eye. I took this photo over the 4th of July holiday...as soon as I saw it...I was thrown back into that beautiful secret garden.

I am including two links...one is info on the book and the other is a movie trailer of a 1993 movie...both are a must for both children and adults as well.
The Book Secret Garden
The movie trailer Secret Garden

I am posting this now because it is Summer...Summer is when I discovered the book and Summer is when my son first heard about it and saw the movie. We had seen the movie but wanted more. We were in the Smokies the Summer of '94...my son was 8. I had checked out the audio version of the book and the descriptions of the secret garden...almost mystical was the background for our rides through the mountains...it became our most favored trip to the mountains...one that only happens once...Zach is 23 now but every now and then...he still talks about the trip to Cades Cove intermixed with this magical book.

As I watched the trailer again, I can see now that I probably learned my style of photography from the movie and the book...surreal settings, saturated colors and creating a mood that draws the viewer into the scene.

Whether single adult, or with children...if the time and place are right this Summer...read the book and rent the movie. It will stay with you for life.

Dan