Sometimes, amidst the emoticons and heavily condensed phrases of an MSN chat I find an extraordinary thought. This post is about one of them....A colleague showed me the adjacent picture of her daughter, gazing at the Unisphere, a metallic structure symbolizing peace, situated somewhere in New York, USA. While I was struck by the lovely composition of the photograph, I was affected even more by her interpretation of it, which was something like "it's such a little person in a big world... all we can hope for is peace..."
It's easy to read those words and wax eloquent on the importance of world-peace and how important it is for the future generations. All true, no doubt, and also the direction in which my thoughts first moved... but somehow I was not able to write about it... there was something more I sensed in the picture and in her explanation... something that wouldn't let me write unless I wrote about it first...
I've had this picture for a while, almost a couple of weeks now, but I only just understood consciously what my heart saw long ago. This isn't just a picture of a beautiful little girl staring at an awe-inspiring monument. It's also a picture of the parent who clicked the photograph.
When you think about it, it's obvious that a beautiful photograph is a reflection of the photographer, since it captures that person's unique perspective etc. But how often do we really think about this? In my experience it's easier to get lost in the photograph with a cursory "Nice, picture!" thrown at the photographer, who is content with the appreciation. Today, however, I want to come out of that custom and shift focus from the picture, to the one behind it... the invisible soul that leaves it's imprint on the image as surely as the ink, but so subtly that it is seldom noticed right-away.
What I now see in this picture is not just the little girl, but also the love and dreams that her mother has for her... an impossible love that only a parent can have, capturing so effortlessly the beauty of her child... youth, innocence, wonder, enthusiasm all at once. She told me it was a lucky shot, taken almost by chance, but life has taught me not to believe that coincidences are not really all that coincidental. There's an awareness in us all, enshrined deep within our beings (call it a divine spark if you will) that guides us towards such exquisite moments when everything seems to be in harmony, tailor-made for our happiness. I think it was this awareness that inspired her to observe and photograph her daughter so perfectly, speaking volumes about their bond through a single picture of a little girl under a gorgeous, sunny sky.
In a single shot, she shows us the tenderness with which she regards her daughter and the hopes she harbours for the future of her offspring - "it's such a little person in a big world... all we can hope for is peace..." Yes, indeed... it's more than a picture... to my mind it's a silent prayer that a parent's heart repeats everyday, and with special fervour at moments like this, when a child's simplicity and brilliance stands out even against the vastness of creation and anything man could ever make...
When you have a moment, spare some time to say a little prayer for all the children in this world, as I did, when I saw what this picture was all about. May they all grow up in a world of peace, where the innocence of childhood has a chance to blossom as much as it deserves... where a mother's dreams for her baby's happiness become real...
5 comments:
Beautiful...as usual, Vir.
Aunty Rati
nice!
will the meaning of the picture change? Or does this picture mean different things to different people? Do others see in this picture what the photographer saw, and wished to capture?
I think pictures have a past and a present. But they hide it from the viewer - who then makes something up. So the picture belongs to the photographer, but the story is ours.
And so we get back in touch :)
What better place to catch you than on your blog!
Ahoy there! How wonderful to get in touch with you through LifeStrings. This is a first, in my blogging life. :) I do hope we can keep up with this.
Yes, I think the picture means different things to different people... this is the way I looked at it. I'm not sure if the picture tries to hide the past and present, though... perhaps the photographer really wants to show these aspects in the picture, but the picture might not resonate with the viewer at the same level...which brings us back to subjective interpretations again! lol! Sometimes however, I think there is a 'perfect' match between what the photographer shows and what the viewer sees/ interprets. Even if there isn't, it's all good... what would life be without subjectivity? (shudder).
To me, the post is about the fearless and carefree attitude with which the kid is approaching the giant structure.He is not looking for his mom just yet. He is attracted to what the view may yet have to offer when he strides forward.
He is not scared.He knows he will be fine.
He has faith. Something we tend to rely less and less on when we grow up? Our god tells us time and often when we look back for him, that he is there...somehow , unlike, the kid we still fear moving forward.
Maybe we could learn a thing or two from the pic ourselves?
Definitely... a picture that touches us somewhere, certainly has a lesson for us too... and it will be different for each person who looks at it :) Your interpretation is awesome... I thought about that as well, but was totally blown away by the thought of the photographer, so I decided to dwell on that. btw... it's a lil girl in the pic! lol! :) thanks and keep writing!
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