Image to Inspire: Different Perspectives

In almost 2 years of travel, and well over 20,000 pictures, this image is one of my favorites. I took it last week while we enjoyed a few days in Lucca, Italy, a small village tucked in the Tuscan hills. As we rounded the corner of the main square I saw this woman sitting alone, her pink dress popping against the white of a church.

As I looked at the scene what I found most interesting is that this is a woman using her phone while sitting on the steps of a 7th century church. While I was taking a photo to capture the moment I noticed a young girl riding around the square laughing. I waited until she rode into the frame and snapped a shot, and it was this addition that caused me to fall in love with the image.

To me this picture represents different perspectives of focus in life. There is no right answer. As you view the image your eye may be drawn to the girl and the excitement you recall of being a kid and how much pleasure a simple ride on a bike could bring. Perhaps you focus on the woman, wondering why she is sitting alone in such a beautiful dress. Or maybe the contradiction between the old church and the modern technology draws your attention. The best news is, there is absolutely no wrong answer.

We are all pulled towards different perspectives in our experiences, and this is why we sometimes enjoy the exact same things for vastly different reasons. Taking a moment to step back and see an experience (or a scene) through someone else’s eye can enable you to appreciate the experience even more.