The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge: A Symbol of Youth and Creativity

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Symbol.”

The Symbolism of this photo comes more from its conception than anything else. I was new to my Nikon when I took this photo, eight years ago, and was unfamiliar with all the snazzy functions, clicks, and dials. For some reason I had my heart set on a macro lens without really knowing what it did or why. Nearly a decade on it’s still my favourite lens and rarely comes off the camera, much to the displeasure of whoever uses my camera and protests with ‘I can’t zoom out!!’

It’s a funny thing that’s always bugged me, but I took my best photos during that trial-and-error period. This picture is when I just pointed and clicked, and I love it with all my heart. It’s become a symbol of youth – the confidence, the reckless abandon, the willingness to experiment. And it’s a symbol of how things come together when we stop pushing those elephants up those stairs.

My photography mentor and dearest friend, Tomo, told me once that some of the best photos he’d ever taken were mistakes. I guess we can’t always control or fashion our creativity. Sometimes, when we are not afraid to make mistakes, the subconscious comes out to play and makes beautiful things.