I was at a local park with my photo/media students recently (it’s a tough job. . . ) and when they wandered off to do their thing, I took my camera out and started to take photos of the same, old things: leaves, trees, tree bark, etc. Then I saw a green, metal park bench and I knew I had found the perfect subject.

I liked the color, of course, but I really liked the texture. I took several photos with a wide aperture because I liked the way metal bench looked as it gradually went out of focus in the frame. Finally, I decided the bench wasn’t enough and so I put a single, worn pine cone on the bench. And here’s the result.

Looking for meaning and symbolism? Loneliness? Promise? E pluribus unum? Who knows what I was thinking. . . .

(Incidentally, I would be impressed with anyone who saw the title of this post and thought of Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung” album from the 1971. Play Me)