Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
A Girl with a Mermaid Dream

My friends and I loved to swim in water as if we were mermaids, from childhood all the way to now in our 20. I asked my friend to move in that playful way to capture the innocence and imagination that we've held onto since childhood. I wanted this to be a way to tell people to never let go of their inner-child, that they are what helps us see the fantastical parts of life against the grueling reality we face the more we grow up.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Muskegon, Michigan, United States of America
Copyright: © Taylor DePouw