“Greta-2012” Lion’s Head, South Africa

by topicofthought

I took this picture after completing a challenging hike in the city of Cape Town, South Africa this past winter break. When people finish the hike, they are welcome to sign their names on a structure right at the top. Since I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to return to that special spot on top of Lion’s Head mountain, I wanted to take a picture to remember both that day and the trip as a whole. When I took this picture, I was intentionally trying to have my name, Greta, in focus and the background out of focus, which includes a blurred out visual of people and Table Head Mountain. I wanted my name, which is clear and lit up by the natural light of the sunset to be seen. It symbolized my accomplishment of not only climbing that mountain, but taking the risk of going to South Africa, trying something new, and as this picture shows, making my mark on a completely different continent. The light from the sunset hit my name at a perfect angle, and represented more than just the end of a day, but the completion of an unforgettable trip. When I take pictures, I try to have a good balance in composition. I tried to achieve this in this picture as well.