The Road Not Taken

"While crossing the Tekezé River, the longest tributary of the Blue Nile, the Simien mountains can be seen in the background. The altitude here is 3,630 ft. Ethiopia, 2008" — “While crossing the Tekezé River, the longest tributary of the Blue Nile, the Simien mountains can be seen in the background. The altitude here is 3,630 ft. Ethiopia, 2008”

The first thing I notice stepping into this museum are the various monochromatic photographs. I immediately am struck by the sharp contrasts provided by the black and white hues. The image above was taken at Ethiopia while Salgado was crossing the Tekezé River. The clouds opening, or splitting, and exposing the sun, reminds me of the heavens opening. It is very beautiful how Salgado managed to capture the light hitting the mountainous terrain. Just looking at the way the river splits, reminds me of the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. It is almost as if Salgado presents us with two different choices we have to make. Making a personal connection to my religion, I feel as if this photograph is God watching over all the decisions we make. The light hits the left side of the river more than the right perhaps showing that one decision is more moral than the other. I stepped back from the photograph and looked at it from a distance. I am still inspired how Salgado is able to capture the movement of the clouds drifting apart in a single still life image.