I've forgotten which subway station it was. Down this long passageway, there were words written on the signs on the ceiling and mosaic all along the walls. It may have been the 42^nd street, Times Square Station, but I’m not sure. I saw it on one of my field trips with the kids I worked with at camp.

I didn't expect the photographs to be so raw and powerful. John Wood showed how a "quiet protest" could speak volumes louder than any other. Each of his photographs touches upon a variety of subjects including violence, tragedy of war, nature, and the environment and conveys a message. The first photograph we looked at of John Wood was that of the  gun surrounded by daisies that were made to look like it could be splatters of blood. My eyes were immediately drawn to the gun because of its placement in the center. It had an air of gloominess.

 This weekend I embarked on a trip, however involuntary that it was, with my parents to Orlando, Florida to tend to some business. Friday night my mother decided that we would go see La Nouba, Cirque Du Soleil's spectacular in Downtown Disney. And yes, I know, its not New York, however, Cirque Du Soleil performs nationwide and has actually had shows in Randall's Island in our very own city. This is the third Cirque De Soleil show I have seen, and it is nothing short of brilliant art, if any of you have been able to bathe in Soleil glory, I dare you to disagree.

John Wood's pictures were unlike anything I have ever seen. I wasn't in love with them but I understood them. And what's more is I respected him so much for holding himself back as he created his photographs. Let me explain: what I mean by that is John Wood had opinions and he definitely had a message. He was passionate about things. And being an artist, his art was an outlet for him and also a medium through which to spread his message. Knowing this and then seeing what he did through his photos made me really respect him for his restraint.

As I entered the International center of photography on Wednesday afternoon with some of my IDC classmates, I felt a bit out of the loop. As I roamed around the facility trying to find John Woods' exhibit on "Quiet Protest", I felt somewhat artistically uneducated. I looked and stared at many photographs on display, perplexed about what exactly the photographer was trying to convey. I thought to myself that maybe I didn't have the ability to appreciate photography like others did, until I caught a glimpse of certain Avadon fashion photography, which absolutely took my breath away.