“Contemplation”

Riviera Beach on Geneva Lake in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

July 5, 2024

In most every photograph of mine I share, I strive to have the viewer imagine standing next to me when I made the photo, seeing what I am seeing and experiencing what I am experiencing.

Depending on the particular image, I take that notion a step further and hopefully inspire the viewer to place herself or himself in the scene depicted by the photo.

This is one of those photos. I enjoyed being in the spot to make the photo, and even more I certainly would have liked to be sitting on the pier, whether with another person or by myself.

I did the photo on June 29, 2006, at the Riviera Beach in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The time of year meant summer already was in its prime.

Persons familiar with the beach, which faces south, could have made an astute observation by realizing the time of day as early evening based on how the sunlight struck the series of boards on the west side of the pier. Notice how they form an odd but interesting curve toward the end.

Too bad the pier had not been given a coat of paint upon installation the previous month to make the pier that much more dazzling. I often am chagrined at how lax people are at realizing how much a coat of paint can make a difference in appearance.

Not stretching my point too far, but the ugliness of the pier speaks poorly for the community, especially when Lake Geneva – then and now – should be making such a strong and appealing impression on visitors due to the importance of tourism. I may be exaggerating just a bit, but I often say, “Aesthetics is everything,” especially since 80 percent of the information we receive is through sight.

Since the time was evening, the two persons essentially had the pier – and the whole beach, for that matter, to themselves. Such a good time for conversation and contemplation!

My other shots of this scene included some that were more wide open, meaning I showed much of Geneva Bay, with its east and west shores, and the distant south shore of the lake. Including all those elements would have given the photo a much different feel, of course.

To order a print of this photo, go to https://www.frednoer.com/lake-geneva/p/contemplation-in-lake-geneva-wisconsin.