The Scent of Fall. Think about it, what do Autumn Scents evoke? In the South, we plant Pansies, we collect hydrangeas on the wane…drying. The Zinnias are making one last effort. Full Blown Roses may take center stage on the fall floral scents. Yet. And this is Important- Fall Scent is really the decay of leaves and moss or fungi breaking down, this creates the musky sugary scent of a leaf pile. Yes, Mums have a distinct spicy scent and as fruit ripens- well you know the scent of ripe fruit, right?

Scents are closely associated with Memories. For instance, I worked for the Fragrance Division of Oscar de la Renta- the Classic Oscar fragrance was born from his stroll through his mother’s garden in the Dominican Republic. He picked a bouquet and the scent was born. With floral scents of Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Rose and Gardenia- Oscar brilliantly added herbs- Basil, Lavender and Rosemary. There is also a hint of Coconut and Cloves. So! Why all of this talk of Scent? Well..

When we show off our photos or even videos, we appeal to sight, maybe sound- using only 2 of our 5 senses. There are 3 more senses we need to appeal to our audiences. Scent is one of them- if you show Fall Food- write about the scent as the Food is prepared. Let us know the aroma is irresistible. If you show Fall Gardens, please know that it’s not the scent of a Pumpkin or an Apple- you want to evoke in your audience. It’s the Warm Spices of a Pie, hot from an oven. Create a Memory using Scent. That’s the biggest lesson of Writing in this post. Yes, we enjoy the photos, yet it’s the combination of images and words which form the greatest attraction. Writing which uses the Unseen Senses of Photography and is one of the best ways to draw us in. What keeps us there? is Writing about it!

A cosy blanket? Help me ‘Feel’ the Texture. Tell me what I taste and smell when I read your post- Warm Bread? Oh my, yes! Caramel? Did you know Caramel is one of the Burnt Sugar Scents of Autumn- the distinct burning of the sugary scent of Fall Leaves. It’s a scientific fact- when leaves fall and turn brown, part of the process is releasing sugars to feed the plants and trees through the winter.

Try on the Scents of Fall as you write, create more than Beauty- Create a Memory. Just like Oscar created a Memory of Home in his mother’s flower garden.

Love y’all, Brenda

PS. Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve written a post! I’m about halfway through creating an online course- A Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing. Stay tuned.