You might notice an unusual use of capitalization in the title of this post. Don’t worry, it’s intentional.
Power versus Persistence tells a story.
All the way at the end of the paved road in Kauai if you’re headed counterclockwise lies Ke’e, and Ke’e State Beach.
That’s where the story of Power versus Persistence plays out.
It’s rough water there, and going in for a swim isn’t advised. There are six different signs with infographics about all of the bad things that can happen to you if you go in if the surf isn’t enough to intimidate you.
But, if you’re a photographer, it’s safe.
One of the first things you see as you enter the beach by the Lifeguard Station is a very prominent tree. Persistence.
And when you look to your left, you see the pounding surf. Power.
You feel the wind. Occasionally, you feel the spray. And you see the tree.
And you wonder how the battle is going, the battle of Power versus Persistence.
Persistence wants to stay put and live out its life.
Power wants to control everything in its’ path.
And day by day, grain of sand by grain of sand, my bet is that Power will prevail over Persistence.
Persistence won’t let power win easily. Persistence is fighting with every fiber in its’ roots.
Someday, when Power has moved enough sand, Persistence will fall prey to the laws of physics, specifically gravity and friction. And Power will win.
It has been said that there is almost a haunting quality about this image. Personally, I’d possibly make that association if Persistence were dead.
I see it as a reflection of a struggle among elements of nature. If you want to go really deep, you could say that it is a visual metaphor of one’s struggle (Persistence) to hold course in what has become a complicated and fast moving world (Power).
It’s likely that each one of us sees something along the lines of just holding on and staying fast, and that’s fine.
If it’s true that a picture paints a thousand words, what would your words be?
Power versus Persistence is available in the coastal and beach scenes gallery on Laughing Frog Images.
Image made with a Nikon D5100 and a Tamron 18-270 zoom; RAW image file exposed at ISO 200 for 1/250 second at f8; processed in Perfect B&W / Perfect Photo Suite 9.5.
