WP Photo Challenge: Symbol

Does this key symbolize something to anyone else? Maybe. For a week each year this is “our key”. What you can’t see is, this unlocks relaxation, laughter and families reconnecting.

I took this photo last year when we were unsure what having most of the kids in high school would mean to our annual vacation. The thought that we were at that time when some vacations were without one of the kids or one of the families was just such a weight on my heart.  I have dozens of photos of the cabin, the woods and the stream but none of them really spoke to me about what could be missing. Really, what could be missing just can’t be photographed. As I picked up the key to leave that year, I realized that this key opened more than the door … it opens our time.

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Symbolism is uniquely human. We use symbols to represent intangible things like our beliefs and emotions, and to convert the abstract into something understandable. We may also use symbols to simplify and convey information.

Photography is often the same; an image illustrates a single moment in time, or captures an object in perpetuity. Much like symbols, photographs, too, may conjure vivid memories and mean a wide range of things to different people. 

BY JEN H.

Want to participate? Each Friday, we’ll provide a theme. Publish a new post with a photo interpreting the theme. Include the pingback to this week’s challenge to share your post with the community. Learn More

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Symbol.”