We The People...

After taking an extended hiatus from photo blogging, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to jump back into it. Why has it taken so long? I’m... more

by Joshua Ball

Title

We The People...

Artist

Joshua Ball

Medium

Photograph

Description

After taking an extended hiatus from photo blogging, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to jump back into it. Why has it taken so long? I’m not sure I can truly answer that question. Sometimes life just has a way of evolving in ways that we can’t foresee. This isn’t a bad thing; it’s just one of life’s quirky little realities. Each and every one of us our own unique set of responsibilities and accountabilities. Sometimes these can get in the way of our personal aspirations and ambitions. While we certainly have to address life’s responsibilities, I think it’s important for each of us to reserve a little time to focus on the things we enjoy doing.

Since the last true blog entry on BallMultimedia.com, several things have happened in my life. 2011 was a year of notable change and growth; both personally and professionally. Perhaps it is these very changes that have inspired me to return to this hobby, this love, this passion. I love taking photos and writing about them. It is a form of creative self-expression and an avenue for me to organize the random steam of thoughts swimming through my head. In any case, I’m back!

My good friends Kevin and Breanne had a beautiful destination wedding on the beach in Nags Head, NC in mid-August of last year. I was honored to take part in the event by being the official photographer. My girlfriend and I decided to drive to the wedding from our home in Toledo, OH. Just a few weeks prior to this trip, we had made a similar journey to Maryland to visit her family. The prospect of spending a few more days in the car did not excite me but the thrill of the journey did. On our return drive, we decided to stop in Washington DC.

I hadn’t been to the nation’s capital since I was about 8 years old and I was excited to see the city as an adult. We quickly found an underground parking garage, packed up my camera gear and set out into the city on foot. We only had 4 or 5 hours of sunlight left so it was important to manage our time. Our first stop was the national archives where we saw the Declaration of Independence as well as the US Constitution. We then visited a few museums and stopped for an extremely late lunch at an Asian hot dog stand. Time seemed to fly by and when I finally decided to take notice, the sun was rather low in the sky. We quickly came to the conclusion that we only had enough sunlight to see one more attraction; which would ultimately be the Lincoln Memorial. Our only real option was to find the car and drive there, which we did.

On our trek back to the car, we found ourselves in a long arched hallway with hanging chandelier-like lights. We walked across the main hallway to an intersecting passage. When we crossed the main hallway, I glanced to my right just to take note of my surroundings and immediately noticed the unique symmetry. I stopped in my tracks and began unpacking the camera out of my backpack. Fascinated with the architecture, I took 6 or 7 shots down the hallway from varying angles and heights. Remembering the lesson I learned in NYC’s Central Park, I then turned around to see what was behind me. The hallway looked almost identical to the one I just shot. The only difference was that the diminishing evening light wasn’t quite as bright. I snapped a few photos but turned back around to focus on my original composition. I was disappointed to see that there was now a group of people stopped in the hallway. I waited 10 seconds or so before I came to the conclusion that they weren’t moving. It was a pretty hot day and they were probably just taking shelter from the setting sun. Just for the sake of diversity, I took a few more photos of the hallway, this time with the people in the background.



7 Months Later………..



Last week I decided to start going through the photos I shot that day. Of the 20 plus photos I took of that random Washington D.C. hallway, I found the one with the people in it to be the most fascinating. The silhouettes of these random tourists seem to tie the photo together by adding a sense of humanity and a touch of wonder. Who were they? Why were they there? What were they discussing? Where were they going? What was their relationship with one another? These are all questions I ponder when I look at this photo. Sure, the shots of an empty hallway were pretty interesting, but adding a human element makes it more meaningful to me. The people made for a better photograph; the people made the difference.

That trip to NC was a pretty exciting experience…… but only because of the people I shared it with. Had I been alone, shooting a wedding for strangers, it would have been a completely different endeavor. This photo summarizes that concept to me. No matter the circumstances, the situation or the general environment, people ultimately make the difference. The people in our lives shape the way in which we see the world. They allow us to see the faults in ourselves while simultaneously giving us the fuel we need to believe in our own talents and abilities. I had an amazing opportunity to travel several hundred miles away with my girlfriend in order to spend an amazing week with great friends in a beautiful location. It was the people that made this trip, and it’s the people that make a true difference in our lives.

Uploaded

February 16th, 2012