Yesterday we talked in class about the poem "The Fish," by Elizabeth Bishop. One of the parts of the poem that stuck out to me most was the author's mention of the fish's eyes.
"I looked into his eyes
which were far larger than mine
but shallower, and yellowed,
the irises backed and packed
with tarnished tinfoil
seen through the lenses
of old scratched isinglass." (34-40)
So, I thought to myself, why not use my blog post to look at things from a fish's point of view? Okay, well not literally a fish's point of view, but through a camera lens called the Fish Eye Lens. I have always found pictures through this type of lens intriguing. They're meant to stimulate the way fish see things, but it's hard to really say whether it is accurate or not. Regardless, I love this picture. And I know that I wouldn't love this picture unless it had been shot in this way, through this lens.
I see things through my eyes, human eyes, all the time. But seeing this through a different set of eyes makes it even more beautiful. The way the color of the rocks roll into the water, and the way the water seems to stretch itself to just barely touch the sky is amazing. The way this picture is curved almost makes it seem like it covers half the earth.
But pciture this. What if I looked at this backwards? I mean literally, beginning in the center of this body of water and rolling towards the rocks? Or what about if I looked at it from a bird's eye view? Or from the top of that tree on the right? Or underwater, looking up? I can visualize this image from so many different perspectives and that is what makes it interesting. If this picture was shot through a normal lens, it wouldn't have sparked a curiosity in my mind about how I look at things because it would all be the same to me, I would've seen it all before.
Seeing things through the eyes of someone else -- an animal, object, or person -- awaken you to the different angles people see things. Just like you might like the taste of broccoli, but someone else doesn't, people look at things in various ways too. To me, this is a picture of absolute beauty, purely because I am looking at it in a way that I have never experienced before. I have seen plenty of sunsets, and I can promise that they never get old, but looking at this one through the fish eye lens reminds me that I can always find something new and interesting about everything I see just by looking at a different way.
So, obviously a fish didn't take this picture because it isn't exactly from under water, but I would love to see it from that perspective too. A simple image, that is really all this is. And yet, it asks me to quit looking at things the way I always have and try something new. All I need is an open mind, and open eyes.
Hey Noners! From the minute I met you, you have always written exquisitely, and this is no different. I completely agree; seeing the world from another perspective, from someone else's viewpoint, through a different lens, truly is beautiful. It's kind of like how we all can look at the same glass window and see the same colors, but not the same picture or message. I know that in my lifetime, this has helped me to understand and accept others, which I can easily say has enriched my world. Like you said, looking at something in a way you have never experienced can be absolutely stunning. Stepping out of the corner that we all feel so comfortable in never prompts any emotional growth. Little do we know that that world is a minuscule, insignificant part of life. With each moment we spend outside of that zone, our perspectives tenfold, and we begin to truly understand things that we would have never thought of before. The sad part is that most people don't put forth such an effort to walk in new shoes and subsequently suffer the loss of so much perspective and knowledge that really can change a person. But for those of us who are fortunate enough to find something worthwhile in the search for a new take on things, life seems that much more wonderful, and I can see you are definitely one of those people! Call me overly optimistic, but I believe that even the saddest, most uncomfortable, most unfamiliar of things have a way of turning around, just as long as you're willing enough to look through the right lens.
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