Short Story: EXHBIT
Ephrem RichmondShare
For the majority of my photographs, I envision the story before anything is captured. However, there are scarce occasions when I find the story after I take the photo, but EXHIBIT falls straight into that rarity.
As I was adjusting this CHRONICLE for the print, a few unexpected colors started to pop: the greens on the nets below and above the statue. They add an extreme amount of depth to the story, and I started to realize what words the photo gives me.
When I look at this photograph, it feels like the statue of the monkey is being forced into the open, into an awkward position. The nets and the carvings of the roofs help lift him up into the light.
I think that our society has much in common with him. We are surrounded by people who have a set of norms, whether good or bad, and when we spend time with them, we slowly start to reflect the world's characters. There are those who study in college because their friends were following that path. Some people are forced to pick up a religion because the pressure from their family is too great. And others end up believing they aren't great enough to achieve their dream goal.
The point I believe this CHRONICLE really tugs at is our characters. It is so easy to become someone else and pick up habits or ideas that don't align with who we are, thus presenting ourselves as someone we didn't intend to be. This isn't to say that exploring isn't okay, of course. We can follow our friends to places, and we can choose something because people tell us to. There is nothing wrong with that, and there are certainly many instances where this person is better off because of that decision. The contrast is that there are times when people don't get to explore their full sets of options. I believe that it is vital for us, as human beings, to be considerate of how others affect us and how we impact those around us. We all can encourage life-changing choices, but we need to be careful that we aren't forcing people into a corner.
Thank you for reading! I would like to point out that I have nothing against following in others' paths. I, in fact, do this myself! I have followed a multitude of people, and through that act, I have become Ephrem Richmond. I encourage you to observe what others are doing in a critical way and to choose what best suits you.
