Relearning to See

I’m standing in front of the lighthouse on Brier Island, Nova Scotia, squinting at my cell phone screen. It’s windy and bright, the air thick with salt and the faint sound of waves meeting rocks far below. I know exactly how I want this image to feel: romantic, adventurous, the kind of photo that makes people ache to stand here themselves. But when I look at the image I’ve captured, it’s flat, just a snapshot. It’s good enough for a phone, but not enough to satisfy what I’m chasing.