17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Altered Images
Commencer une Tempête

These photos represent a scenario and a story that had preoccupied my mind for days. To be honest, I am not very interested in the aesthetic view of art. Quite the contrary, I am very passionate about the imaginative view, and I always try to make sure that there is a meaning behind my photos. Hence, in this project, I attempted to portray two parallel and simultaneous lives, the life of the fish and the life of the human. The first photos have an aesthetic view, but then the story begins, and the meaning starts to flow. Here is the story: Although this person behaves based on her own values and what she deems right or wrong, she harms others. Trying to be kind and unable to comprehend the reality, she hurts the fish, and only when she takes the hat off, is she able to see that it is dead. She realizes what she has done and feels deep sorrow and regret inside her, but she knows that nothing can bring the fish back to life again. This story represents the lives of many of us. At first, we all are innocent human beings who want to be helpful. We do what we believe is right, but, sadly, we do not have the slightest clue that we are walking in the wrong direction. The story behind this photo project is my own idea, and I am also the project's director and photographer. Besides, we are animal rights advocates, so we made sure that the fish used in the photo shoot would not be hurt, and It is now in a safe and proper aquarium.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2018
Date Uploaded: 11.2019
Photo Location: Tehran, Iran
Camera: NIKON D750
Copyright: © Peyman Naderi