This week I peeked into the world of photography. I’m marveled by those who can stand behind the lens and capture the world’s beauty–it absolutely fascinates me. But as someone who has stood in the Colosseum and gazed upon the Arc de Triomphe, photography has always seemed to be the last thing on my mind. I’m the tourist who gazes upon ancient piles of stone and speculates how these great wonders came to be. I get so lost in my thoughts and in the world of my imagination to remember to take out my phone and snap a picture proving I stood in the magnificent shadows of the greatest marvels mankind has ever seen.

The thing that I learned about photos was how they use the concepts of light and shadow to create the actual image. For photographers, I’m sure the concept isn’t as mind-blowing as it was to me. But to take the energy of light and darkness and make a likeness to the physical blew me away. At the essence of it all, light is the power force of all things. It is the energy that makes the world turn. So to freeze the light and shadow of things to make a still image is amazing.

Humans have the capacity to manipulate the most powerful source in the universe. They can eternally make light stand still to capture the moments of humanity’s triumph and defeat, their joy and their sadness. If we have the power to use light to make a fixed reflection, what more do we have the power to do? The possibilities are endless, and so is the responsibility.