[1rudeboy]

Stylistically, I think you are limiting yourself. Instead of thinking "one" to demonstrate longing, think "two." Example:

[potlatch]

Longing - is a yearning for something or someone who is missing. Longing is a vacuum inside you that you yearn to fill.

Just me, lol, good luck with your album.

[Winstons Julia]

I’m hoping that the subject of your longing is impressed.

Hydrangeas are blue sometimes.

Lone mourning dove.

A candle just blown out with the smoke showing.

[Winstons Julia]

“Go fracking ahead”

I am not at all versed in this method of extracting oil.

[the invisib1e hand]

snap out of it.

[kevao]

it is intended as a gift for my loved one, who resides far, far away, and requires some measures of persuasion.

Ultimately, you're going to have to say it with words anyway. So while I encourage you to pursue your artistic creative endeavors, if you think a longing-themed photo album is going to suffice in persuading your muse, then you are delusional.

Pick up the phone, spend the dime, persuade with words. Save the beautiful photo album for damage control for after you inevitably do something really stupid to screw up the relationship. In fact, prepare many beautiful photo albums for this eventuality -- you will need them all.

[mplsconservative]

I love your post! Having lost my father last December, I’ve experienced a busload of longing for what will not be again on this earth. And my poor mom, seeing her grief tugs at my heartstrings.

Perhaps a small free-form heart, made of tiny strings with one loose on the side as an accent to your photos.

Also, I encourage you to think outside of the visual. The scent of my dad’s cologne is a powerful trigger for me of so many memories of him. A scent card perhaps sealed in pretty little envelope that can be opened?

Also, most any garden center (the nicer ones) carry blue hydrangeas as gift plants year round. I’d also suggest the blue flowers of lavendar or pansy plants. They can be pressed and dried when sandwiched between sheets of paper in a heavy book. It takes around two weeks.

My best wishes to you on your very creative project!

[loveliberty2]

Try some of the images here

[grimalkin]

The Portuguese have a word for this called Saudade.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade

Saudade has been described as a "vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist ... a turning towards the past or towards the future".

Different things trigger it for me: smells, impressions, sounds, sights like birds, empty fields, sunsets, & open spaces.

Sounds like a cool project.

[SamiGirl]

Hi Cat,

Take some pictures of Forget-Me-Nots. They are blue and tiny, but look so beautiful when a bunch of them bloom. That’s if you can find them this time of year.

[Revolting cat!]

selfless BUMP!