Shutter to Think: A higher power

I don’t think I’m getting into sacrilegious waters here, but if so, remember me in your prayers.

This recent basketball photo has a strong religio-vibe to it:

Outstretched arms.

Faces pained in anguish and angled toward the heavens.

A wanting that’s just out of reach of its followers.

The ball – a stand-in for a halo or a spiritual being – hovers above, almost tauntingly.

OK, maybe we got a little weird there. But it segues nicely into a reference of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, who made his name depicting weirdo scenes of religious notions.

Bosch, as well as his countryman Jan van Eyk, made grand paintings of their impressions of “The Final Judgement.” And as much as I try, I can’t shake that same feeling from this photo.

Am I over embellishing? Most definitely.

In the end, we all find parallels to the things that move us. Like the firing of synapses in our brains, we draw lines and create connections, whether consciously or not.

Art has been that thing for me.

When I’m lucky enough to capture something that draws me a tiny bit closer to these masters of art, well, my prayers have been answered.

– Alex T. Paschal, follow me on Instagram @svmphotogs or message me at apaschal@shawmedia.com.