Empty Words

"Marriage life stinks!" These are words I heard a few months back from some middle-aged gal; "my marriage ended and I cannot tell you why" is another comment I heard later from a gentleman I know. How shocking it is that people can look so happy and yet, they are far from it. Based on photos I have seen of them in on Facebook or other sites, it appears they're living a fairy-tale life. However, being a photographer, I know that pictures can lie.   

So, as I am walking through my house, I see these tattered shoes my daughter owns. Not tattered from use, they are a super hot style of shoe you buy. When I was a kid, we threw shoes that look like these away! Imagine that. To me, they are a big waste of money, but to a 16 year old, they are a symbol of coolness. 

For some reason, those shoes just kept getting my attention. Finally, I had some free time so I grabbed them and began to think about ways I could use them to tell a story in a photograph. The shoes alone were not enough, so I kept looking around for something else that would compliment them. Then I see this little balloon that has the caption "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever," printed on it right below the heart that says "I love you."

From my own experience of talking to countless people, those are merely words that come with expiration dates. Am I wrong? Is the photo over dramatic? You will have to decide. I actually feel that this type of balloon sets people up for a fall. So, when I was out taking my photos to create stories, I used both of these items in the photo. I feel that I got my point across. How sad it is that photo is so accurate.