Making A Photo Uniquely Yours: An Initiative

While everyone else was taking photos of the White House, I took this textured photo
of the brick from the park across the street. This is a singular experience. -wdsiemer

Making A Photo Uniquely Yours: An Initiative
William D. SIEMER II

Everybody takes photos of statues, monuments, historic buildings and landmarks. There are probably millions of people with similar photos of Times Square or the Washington Monument. On my recent trip, I took some photos like these for keepsakes, but I find myself doing it far less often. I want to experience a trip through my own eyes, not a camera viewfinder. Therefore, when I take a photograph I feel the scene was important enough for me to want to share its beauty, ugliness or message.

So, next time you go to take a photo of something famous, think of turning the camera around and taking a photo of the unimportance of its surroundings, of a piece of chewed gum sticking to the wall, or of the simplicity of the ground you are standing on. It will make the photo unique to you. It will make you unique...

To say--"I visited the Eiffel Tower, but instead I give you a photo of a strange bug at its iron feet." Everybody has seen photos of the Eiffel Tower, and can easily access them online, but not everyone has seen a photograph of that exact bug.

You capture a singular moment; a mystery that is otherwise easy to solve. Only you know the answers, reasons, feelings or location behind your image. Give it a try!