Short Story: GRADIENT
Ephrem RichmondShare
This photo, GRADIENT, was taken on a cool morning on the beach in Florida. A bit of time had passed since I got into photography, and yet I still hadn't found any time to capture a few sunsets, let alone beaches. So, I took my camera and a speaker, walked out onto the beach, and plopped down in the sand, hoping to get some good photos. I sat there for hours taking one photo after another, and this is but one of them. The biggest thing I took away from my time sitting there is that our world is busy. Try to imagine what I felt on that beach. I was sitting there alone, enjoying the illuminating effect the sun had as it began to rise. I drifted into a state of peace while listening to the ocean and my lo-fi music. It was a beautiful moment. Now think of a swarm of birds; flying in tight-knit patterns, all clumped together, never getting a moment to themselves. The only thing they breathe is feathers, and they never see anything besides what everyone sees. When I caught this photo, this free moment, I knew that I was currently like the bird flying across the vast gradient of our sky. I was free, breathing my own air, creating my own opinions, and looking at whatever I wanted. It hardened my mind to think that it would end with waking hours around the corner. But then I remembered, I had just caught a photo that holds it all. I hope that when you look at this image, you'll feel that sense of freedom I had in Florida: peaceful, quiet, relaxed, free.
Thank you for reading.
