A Little Change In Perspective

Someone's perspective can change a lot. Often it is simply a change in perspective that brings understanding between two people who share nothing in common. Other times, it can turn resentment into sympathy or anger into love. I think the problem is that we (as humans) tend to view situations in light of how they affect us. In other words, it is our perspective which gives us a frame of reference to interpret what happens to us. For example, if an acquaintance walks by us in the hallway at work, but does not even look at us, our first reaction might be that they are angry with us. The truth might be as simple as they are having a bad day and there is something on their mind. We probably had nothing to do with it, but our perspective makes us think we did.

My point is, there are many times when we just need to change our perspective to see the truth of the situation or, even better, the best in someone. There have been any number of arguments between my wife and me that could have been avoided if we simply assumed the best about what the other was trying to say. If it can work in my marriage, I am sure it could work in other relationships.

Changing perspective in photography can also be powerful. In fact, it is the most impressive photography that can take a normal object and show it in a completely different light. These are the photos that make you stop and look instead of just flipping past. The photo that follows is one of those where I tried to change the perspective a little. My wife and I were sitting on a bench swing on a dock in Charleston, SC when I took this photo. The scene before me was nothing really impressive, but I thought it might be worthwhile to try something different. I set the camera to 18mm and set the focus to about a foot. I held the camera down by the nail head and just snapped away. Voila! I hope this can more than anything, be a reminder to change your perspective every now and then.

The Dock, Charleston, SC
18mm, f/3.5