Capturing the Soul Anonymous

As the clipboard passes from one set of hands to the next, a bizarre sensation drifts from person to person. A fantastic glimmer of passion and excitement. An assuring whisper of creativity and vision. The pen and paper reach me, and I glance down at the various marks sprinkled across the page. I have four distinct choices: Pottery and Sculpture. Drawing and Painting. Jewelry. Photography. The pen touches the paper, and I stop; across the hall, students seem to share my exhilaration. Exiting the darkness, they reveal their work to the light for the first time. The shrill sound of the bell returns my attention to the paper, and my check mark, expanding the chaotic jumble of pen strokes, decides my future.

At the end of my ninth grade year, I made a decision. While it seems relatively insignificant, it is in truth an event that has impacted my life. Photography. It is taken for granted in the modern world, and it is largely misunderstood. In a world overcome by the mass media, it is easy to forget how incredible a camera truly is. With a push of the shutter, a photographer has the ability to preserve the past and, unlike any other artist, is capable of capturing a moment in time exactly as it was. It will never be the same again...