Life in MonochromeThe camera is heavy, its comforting weight resting in your palm. Fingers graze the smooth black lens casing, the aperture adjusted for lights that are too bright and dark shadows that don't quite illuminate. All around, the world is white noise. Wait for the shot. Wait. Wait. Click. Photography is the waiting game; waiting for that perfect moment where you capture a story all in one frame. A moment, a memory, where it is forever captured by the reach of time. Monochrome photography, often black and white, can seem boring. Black and white, just two unique shades in the entire spectrum and universe of color. But in a world where everything changes so suddenly and burns so brightly, the monotony of monochrome is a quiet breath; a simple step back from everything. It highlights the nuances of everything we see. High, mid and low tones – the shadows of depth – are all made clearer without the noise of color to drown them out. We see and live in a world of colors. But color, or polychromy, can distract us. In photography, it can draw attention away from the subject, draw attention away from the rich textures and play of light and shadow that make up its story. In life it can distract us from< >. Each person sees the world in unique ways. (REVISION NEEDED, based on changes in thinking as you write)>New thesis idea: Change the way you see the world, but you need both. Neither the monochromatic nor the polychromatic is greater than the other. They are different, yet each of them... in the center of the paper... is alone. I'm not just monochromatic, I'm not all black and white, or even just a gradient color. I have been dyed sepia, gold, red and every color imaginable by the love and emotions of those around me. Everyone needs love to add color to our worlds. We need color. Although we can see things more clearly and calmly, in monochrome we need the entire color spectrum. Color captures the essence of people; people full of life, color, movement and all those little things that make them beautiful, concentrated in their purest forms. When it comes to the people we love, the feelings and memories we share should not be broken down into their basic forms. They must be held and held tight. Those little touches of polychromy give me courage or ambition when I otherwise wouldn't have any. They give me the freedom to let go and enjoy life when it matters most.