Child of the Solstice turns 21: The Before & the After

The Before

Aaah, my beautiful baby is no longer a baby (though, she’ll ALWAYS be my baby). As the bewitching hour of midnight approached, the countdown was tolled. It would be a special milestone in her life – the passing of her 21st year. Life chose to bring her here on the summer solstice/midsummer. Tension and anticipation permeated the ether. Instinctively, I broke out the studio lights to document the mood. This is a tale of two photo shoots – a ‘before & after’ the birthday girl/woman’s rite of passage. What a blessing to witness this exciting transformation from the old to the new as she reached deep inside the peace of her soul.

Remembering another time and place

The After

At the stroke of midnight, she displayed a different person – a girl/woman transformed – radiant & glowing – truly an embodiment of her beautiful name: Ella Filio Summercloud. I bow to the Universe in humble appreciation for these 21 years she has been so significant a part of my life. This in fact, is my definition of father’s day – the day this beautiful spirit conferred upon me the honor. Here is the woman.