 |
| "Fighting the Fall" |
In "Fighting the Fall" the subject is a cluster of leaves, located near the top right corner of the frame. However the dark out-of-focus elements that litter the background are just as important, as they play a pivotal role in creating the mood. The dark, shapeless, elements appear to attack the subject; making the scene all the more chaotic. The idea behind this photograph was to make the leaves really stand out; I wanted them to be the only life in an otherwise lifeless scene. Morbid yes, but that was the point.
I shot this mid-Fall. These were a few of the last leaves that remained of the season. The title Fighting the Fall plays off the idea that these last remaining leaves are literally fighting the Fall; both the season and the fall to the ground. The dark mood of the picture is contrasted by the leaves' spirit and sets-up the theme of hope.
They say "what goes up must come down." Well, what falls must always get back up.
This theme of hopefulness stems from a time in my life when I could have used a little hope. At the time I made this photograph I wasn't really sure of what I was doing with myself, my life, or my work. My photography had taken a backseat to life and other responsibilities. Ultimately the title refers to my own fight: A fight with mediocrity, lack of fulfillment or a purpose. Those "dark, shapeless, elements" represent the things making my own world chaotic. Obviously this would make the leaves a personification of myself. Falling felt exactly like what I was doing - I had no choice but to fight it. I'm happy to say I believe I won that fight, but then again life is a constant fight, isn't it?
----------
Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for Part VI, find the previous here. Share this post!
James Elliott
