The idea of diversity is critical to any environment, and this image does a great job of illustrating the importance of being different. The splash of color and compactness of the fish represent much more than just an ecosystem. The photograph can be interpreted in many different ways, but I believe it demonstrates Oscar Wilde’s concept of “being yourself because everyone else is taken”. Throughout color, line and scale this image utilizes every component of the picture (big or small) to reinforce Wilde’s idea with an example as simple as fish in the ocean.  

 Likely the first impression of this picture is the wide array of color. Color is crucial to pictures as they allow us to visually enjoy, and for those who like to consider the “deeper” aspects of an image, colors help “paint” the picture. One may look at this picture and simply think there are just a few colors (blue, green, yellow, etc.), yet that is not the case. For each color is a different shade, whether it be the Royal blue of the “Dory” fish or the Oxford blue of the ocean, there are differences. And in society, there are no humans who are exactly alike. It could be something as simple as height/weight, or as complex as religious views/education. There are also underlying themes to each color in this picture which reinforce the theme of this image. Blue can represent tranquility and productivity, and in this image the serenity of the ocean and the life of the coral reef are examples of this. The ocean is vast and will forever amaze scientists due to the fact that we most likely will never know everything that inhabits the water, and the reefs of the ocean are bright with color, signifying the health/prosperity of the fish that inhabit said reefs. In the world we live in, calmness and productivity are key to healthy lives. No matter the circumstance, we must remain calm, for overreacting does nothing beneficial, and we must work towards success due to the fact that we live on the same planet, so we might as well contribute to that planet’s well-being. Another prominent color is green which represents safety and harmony. Every society wants to be safe, and in the picture, the size of the school of fish along with the large reef illustrate the safety/well-being of the group (it’s likely not a coincidence that some fish and the reef are green). The fish also seem to be in harmony as they all swim right on top of each other, yet there are no signs of conflict, and the reef is large enough to provide for the group. Without harmony societies would collapse, so we must strive to live pleasantly together, for the power of a strong community cannot be defeated. Lastly, yellow “pops-out” in this photo and symbolizes liveliness. This is a very bright picture, and the yellow is the first color I noticed, and I would imagine that is true for most viewers. A key component of a happy society is to be energetic as energy is contagious, so if one person is excited to live another day more will be eager also. The array of colors in this picture does much more than bring life to the image, for it is crucial in proving how each member of a society is different, and how our differences lead to a productive society. 

Lines are fascinating in pictures as you may believe there are only a few sets of lines in an image when in reality there are an abundance in every picture. In this photo, my favorite demonstration of line usage is in the direction of each fish. Each fish is positioned facing a different direction which may seem to be a minor element, but when considering how this picture illustrates “being yourself”, it is very important. With each alternate direction comes a new path for the fish, and similarly in life, every person has his/her own life to live. No two people will ever live the same life, no matter how similar they may be, their experiences will be different, just like how the fish in the picture are all swimming at an angle that may be similar to others, but not the same. Also, in the picture there are a few fish that have vertical lines going straight down their sides which is interesting to me as those fish are not in the center of the image, for the fish with solid colored sides are in the center. I believe this is another underlying message in the photo as the first fish that catch your eye are not divided with lines, and that is important as humans (like the solid colored fish) we are blank canvasses that are in the midst of living our lives or “earning our stripes” like the fish in the back of the picture. Lines are an interesting part of pictures, and in this picture they do a great job of demonstrating humans living different lives.

Lastly, scaling is a “tricky” element in imagery, and in this image its message may surprise you. A simple idea of why the fish in the image are all rather small could be that there are so many humans that at the end of the day, they “come at a dime a dozen”, but I have a different idea. I believe the fish are smaller in order to magnify the size of the ocean. The ocean is incredibly large and inhabits a plethora of life just like the world is massive and contains quite simply everything, and each person calls earth “home” just as the fish reside in the ocean. I also believe the size of the fish can further illustrate how while some people may be bigger or smaller than others, we are all miniscule in comparison to the vast world we call our own. Size is an interesting part of this picture as the fish are made to look large based on how close the fish are to the viewer, yet upon further examination, the size of the fish is important to the idea of life’s magnitude and how no matter what size someone is he is not the same as anyone else. 

This picture is much more than just a group of fish, and it is now one of my favorites images. I believe Oscar Wilde’s idea of being yourself is very important to societies, and this picture encompasses his theory. The way this picture is able to be interpreted so many different ways is very interesting, and I enjoy finding new parts of it that I had not previously considered. The main idea of the picture is that no matter who you are or how you live your life, you are your own person and there is no one on earth who is the same as you, just as there is not one fish in the ocean that does the same thing as another fish throughout the day. 
