When I taught photography to high school students, one of my students gave a speech at a pre-graduation event. It was one of the most rewarding moments in my five years in teaching.
This student was a gifted photographer who was planning to go to medical school to become a doctor. In her speech, she thanked me for teaching the importance of exploring different perspectives in photography and in life – finding the best solution by seeing things another way.
In photography, she learned that if something doesn’t work from one vantage point, we can try shooting it from a different point of view: a higher perspective … or lower … or from the side… or maybe by moving in closer. Sometimes even a slight change in perspective can yield dramatically different results.
The larger lesson was this: the process of exploring different perspectives is essential not only in photography, but in everything we do.
This bright young student understood the deeper message I was hoping to impart. She recognized that this skill – being able to solve a problem by looking at it from every possible angle – would serve her well in the medical career she was planning to pursue.
I think about this now as I'm dealing with Myelodysplastic Syndrome, an incurable form of blood cancer. Researchers have discovered new breakthrough treatments for other blood cancers, but they’re still unable to crack the code in solving MDS. This is a different type of blood cancer, my hematologist explained, and the cells don't respond to treatments that are providing new hope for other patients.
So how do we move forward? How will researchers finally crack the code?
Here's one thing I'm sure of: When the breakthrough for MDS finally does happen, it will come from someone, somewhere, looking at the problem from a different angle – daring to ask a question that will lead to a new line of thinking, a fresh new way to approach the problem.
As in photography, success will come from exploring every possible perspective.
Photographer's Footnote: For the photo featured above, I found a different perspective by shooting red street lights through the raindrops of my car windshield.