Iconic Photo – It’s About What You Don’t See

The blue sky in this photo, taken in the center of suburbia, is like a statement piece necklace on your business casual outfit. In Lauren’s description, you’ll learn that this Iconic Photo was produced during a documentary session. What I personally see in this photo, goes beyond what you actually see (just as Lauren mentions). Yes, her focus is a bit off, but it emphasizes life in constant motion. Being off focus, the subjects ultimately are secondary in the photo, aiding in the message.

Our lives are what we make it. We choose our path, the people we want to be around, how we act, react, and care for one another. Life certainly doesn’t always go our way even when we make the right choices. Sometimes we fall. Sometimes we feel trapped. Sometimes we make bad choices. But we keep going as life is always moving. We seek our own happiness. We constantly seek love and acceptance. Sometimes, it comes from the people we least expect it to come from. While we may not be perfect people, choosing kindness will always bring us as close as we can get to perfection in our lives.

The blue sky is symbolic to the love and happiness this found by the subjects simply because they chose kindness. At least, that’s what I see.

Here’s what Lauren had to say about this photo: 

It’s about what you don’t see as much as what you do. This particular photo always sticks with me, because it’s about three generations coming together under one roof to provide care for one person, but ultimately all looking out for one another. The technical parts of this photo aren’t perfect – my focus is off – but the moment is still there. And I kind of like that the focus ended up being on the house. Being able to come into a family’s home, speaking with them, allowing things to unfold before me, I get to know the whole story – and believe me, every single person out there has one to tell. It’s a story that previous to doing these types of sessions I had never known, because I was too scared to ask. I only saw what I chose to see. The power of documentary photography lies in the way that it connects us as humans. To seek the truth you must be willing to listen without judgement, share without hesitation and have constant curiosity about the world around you. Not an easy thing to do, but it’s so worth it.