Lately, I’ve been thinking about the difference between taking photographs of something and taking photographs about something.
Yesterday afternoon at Upper Gap, I decided to play with the idea and made two photographs.
The first is descriptive: this is what I saw. Open water extending to the horizon, mixed clouds above. By conventional measures, the photograph is technically sound: tripod-mounted, aperture stopped down, carefully exposed and focused. But it still feels empty.
The second is expressive: this is closer to how I’ve been feeling. It’s flawed: unfocused, unsettled, unresolved. Much like the feeling itself.
Two photographs of the same scene: one is of the lake; the other is about how I’ve been feeling. That difference is what I want to keep exploring.
Published: 14 September 2026
Scott Murphy ⊙ Photographer 