The Chrysalis
- Ella Schleter
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
A butterfly-filled creative empowerment session
Being a photographer through winter really calls for a bit of mental strength. You have to forge ahead, even when the weather is being painful, so after sitting on the idea for this session for a little while, Faith and I finally set a date.
As I headed across to Hamilton, it wasn't a warm day by any standards, but the sun was out, the clouds were parting and I had a very good feeling about how the afternoon would unfold.
When I was planning the Chrysalis, I had visions of a lovely warm Autumn day, red leaves drifting to the ground, the sunlight filtering through the trees, and butterflies - real and fake - fluttering all around us, all elements symbolic of the emerging of a new chapter. It's a vision that has been a feature on my moodboard for quite some time, and I was certain we had struck a good day finally.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature had her own story to tell and while the sun was out for a little while making all of our butterfly dreams come true in Hamilton's botanic gardens, clouds began rolling in and the first spatters of rain started to fall. This should have been a warning that where there's one raindrop, there's millions, but instead of packing up in an orderly manner and heading for shelter, we continued to test the boundaries of the weather Gods.
Somewhere between "lift your chin" and extend that arm" the rain arrived with enthusiasm, and within minutes we were drenched. Thankfully, Faith is one of those wonderful people you want in a situation like that because she completely embraced the challenge. What started as an inconvenience became one of my favourite parts of the day.
I've had "rainy day pond shoot" sitting on my photography bucket list for quite some time, so while part of me was wondering whether my equipment would survive the downpour, a bigger part of me was celebrating finally getting to tick it off. As an added bonus, I also discovered my camera gear is waterproof! Yay!
When the rain backed off, we made a dash for shelter and found ourselves inside a rotunda that turned out to be one of those accidental locations photographers dream about. The rotunda framed the garden in a really pretty light, rain falling around us glistening on trees and lawns. It was the kind of moment you couldn't have planned if you tried. Some of my favourite photos of the day were created there by chance.
Pretty soon though, the chill from wet clothes and dwindling light set in. Before heading to our final location, we made one of the most important stops of the day: KFC. Because growth is important, but so are nuggets.
With chicken-fuelled spirits restored, we headed out to Lake Hamilton to watch the last of the sun set and the full moon rise over the water. While the gardens had been whimsical and liberating, the lake felt quiet and reflective. The perfect ending to a session built around transformation.
A reminder that growth rarely happens in perfect conditions. Sometimes it looks like changing direction, sometimes it looks like dancing in the rain. Sometimes it looks like finding beauty in places you never planned to stop. Learn to embrace it and find the magic in it anyway.
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