“You can be and and and” You don't have to succumb to the labels that society puts on you. You don't have to be either-or. You can be whoever you want to be and do whatever you want. I think that was the biggest theme I learned from Kirsten Johnson. That I can embrace what I truly love, that there is no deadline in your life. It is never too late to do the things that you love, it is never too late to start the life that you dream of. Another theme I resonated with a lot was her speaking about getting to an angle to capture what needs to be captured in its essence. The scene in The Above when she captured the vegetables and in-class proceeded to show us how she got that shot, putting yourself in the environment to capture it. Kirsten moved around a lot, she asked questions and made observations to get to know her surroundings and the people within it. I believe that she was trying to get across that you have to put yourself in the situation and understand where you are to best interpret the scene. Kirsten struck me deeply when she stated you can be and and and, I spent my childhood and most of my teenage years thinking I had to be either-or, or fit into the box that society had made for me. I had trapped myself in boxes, doing things I didn’t like or want, however, even birds have to leave the nest.
