When I started trying to think of an idea to shoot for "Peace", one of the things that popped in to my head was from my younger days of attending church. We went to a Catholic church, and one of the customs is during the service when everyone takes a moment to turn to their neighbors sitting around them and shake their hand, and wish them, "Peace be with you", "And also with you."
Although I no longer go to church, that little bit has always stuck with me as a really nice part of it. How lovely to stop and wish those around you peace! For that reason, I decided to shoot this church for my assignment. It has a dove on the wall, which I wanted as it is a very literal symbol for peace. And the church itself it also a symbol - although perhaps a rather ambiguous one. For many people it is a strong symbol of peace, a place where people gather and pray and share their faith. For others, the symbolism of religion could easily mean the opposite of peace - I'm sure we've all heard the old adage (paraphrased!), "More wars have been fought in the name of God than any other reason." While I would refrain from making a statement in either direction, since I have mixed feelings about religion and am too unsure about where I stand to do so, I do think the photograph is an interesting reflection on the symbolism of peace just for that reason - it is open to interpretation. How it makes one person feel may be completely different from how it makes another feel. Peace is a tricky subject to photograph.
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