When you see this image, do you think it's sunrise or sunset? If you see a sunrise, is it because you are optimistic and the sunrise holds forth the promise of a new day? If you see a sunset, is it because you generally hold a different outlook and the day's end is a melancholic event? Certainly a photographer can attempt to convey mood by composition, color, or by choosing a monochrome look. The composition is generally determined at the time of the image capture, and will reflect the photographer's mood at that time. But even more so, the emotions of the photographer at the time the image is processed will set the ultimate expression of mood.
We've all heard of the tortured artist who creates masterpieces but must be suffering intensely in order to create. For the rest of us, working on images might be a refuge from difficulties in the rest of our lives. Images we are processing probably recall a happier time when we were out doing something that we truly enjoy and probably somewhere far away from those things that cause us stress. For myself, I find that if I'm too upset about something, I can't even work to process images. If I'm not quite that distraught, I've been told by friends that my processing tends to take on a gloomy look. The most important thing in my life is my wife, and after that my family, so if something major is going on there I can turn a blue sky sunshine puffy white clouds and field of daisies image into an expression of despair.
So that's all for now; no real epiphany. Just something to reflect on for a moment.
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