Every picture tells a story.  Every story has a creator.  A visit to the local art gallery revealed this when I stepped into the world of abstract photography.  It was the opening reception and many people attended to hear the artist share the story behind her artwork.

As an art teacher for many years, the artist had refined her talents to intuitively capture wonder-filled images.  From behind her camera lens, she zoomed into minute details only visible to the trained eye.  She created beautiful compositions with complimentary tones and fluid shapes that danced playfully across square sheets of metal, yielding a most luminous sheen unlike anything I had ever seen.  Her work was captivating and drew wonder from many.

Conversing with others, I quickly realized how personal interpretations yielded another level of storytelling.  Comments like: “I see a mountain in Japan”, “That looks like the surface of the moon”, and “It’s an aerial view of a dessert” triggered memories and stories of past adventures, real and fiction.  We puzzled over the original photographed object.  What could it possibly be?  Discussions with the artist revealed that some were close-up images of a rusting vehicle in various stages of decay.  Others were parts of an old billboard peeling from years of exposure to intense sun and wintry weather.  Texture was her specialty and it was evident she had a knack for capturing depth and intrigue in her pictures.

Every picture tells a story.  Every story has a creator.  Your story is your life and your perceptions form your reality.  Here is a fun exercise for testing your perception.  What do you perceive when you hear the word ‘pits’?  Take a moment to consider your answer.  Do you perceive something undesirable or seeds for tomorrow?  Do you perceive dangerous holes in the earth or your underarms, that place on your body that stimulates laughter?  Hopefully, your perception involves many different viewpoints and humour is always one of them!