20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
A New Perspective

Crowds of people were celebrating in the streets of Paris. The city of romance was embracing the earliest hours of 2019. As I stood underneath the Eiffel Tower, my eyes met the ENTIRE collection of beams, plates and rivets, that for well over a century, have composed The Eiffel Tower. Today, I am the photographer. I choose my own perspective. I wondered, how many different perspectives exist within the history of Eiffel Tower Photography? I took this shot: A New Perspective. As illustrated by my sideways, somewhat non-traditional photograph of the Eiffel Tower, you see that the possibility of perspectives within an image is often immeasurable; there are so many different angles to choose from when creating a new perspective. Specifically in this photo, I aimed to illustrate how a great degree of difference can exists between individual perspectives. This is because we all continuously experience our world from many different angles. In photography and in life our angles might be different; but we are united because we ALL share the innate ability to form an infinite number of brand-new perspectives during our entire lives. And, from my perspective, this ability to form A New Perspective, in any given moment, is one of the greatest gifts in life itself. Maybe we have the same perspectives, or perhaps our perspectives are quite a bit different. But, to everyone approaching their own New Year in 2019 and beyond from different angles and a new perspective, Cheers and Bonne Année!

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2019
Date Uploaded: 10.2022
Photo Location: Paris, France
Camera: iPhone 7
Copyright: © Melanie Lokkesmoe
Awards
Photo of the Day: 12.30.22