The Story Behind the Photo
June 2025: Intersecting Lines
Monica Matti Miller
©Monica Matti Miller
This photo was planned after researching different ways for intersecting lines, outside the ones we usually see everyday during our walks or when we drive. When I came across this game, my mind started working and creativity was taking over. The inspiration to choose this game over other ideas was because of my memories of playing it in school as a kid, and since my neighbor has young kids I asked her if we can teach them how to play it and document it with photos, she was all in! Because they are kids I like to keep their identity private, so I choose a shallow depth of field, where I still recognize that kids are playing it. Taking photos from different angles, I discovered the contrast with the sky and I started to shoot from above, but the string was light color, so we changed it for a dark one. As for equipment used, I used a 40mm lens with my Sony A7C.
I processed this photo in Lightroom, no major changes on the lighting.
There are many ways to play this game but we went through all the 6 original patterns, both kids were able to do it with some help.
Cat’s Cradle – the starting figure.
Diamonds (or “Soldier’s Bed”).
Candles (or “Manger”).
The Cat’s Eye (or “Fish in a Dish”).
The Witch’s Broom (or “Jacob’s Ladder”).
Final figure – sometimes a return to Cat’s Cradle or a collapse/tangle if someone makes a wrong move.
More and more I realize that the best part about a photo is the process to get it. The photo only shows a moment of the many moments where we laughed while learning and playing the game, the memory was sealed with this photo, and I hope these kids keep playing it and keep these games alive.
The same kids helped me for other assignments for school, so to get their full attention I always pay them with mini cupcakes (with their parent's approval, of course), so it's easy to guide and keep them in the frame as I want it, no photo, no cupcakes, ;) It's a win win!
Left: Mom is teaching them, their hands are so small but they learned to hold the string very fast!
Center: Here I was missing the contrast with the background, so I changed the point of view, using the light of the sky against the strings.
Right: No preparation needed, nails half painted and some dirt under the nails, kids are kids, they were playing in the backyard before I arrived, these small details make the photo more real.