Nineteenth-century Impressionists focused on capturing the sensation of both movement and stillness, balancing the two to form the perfect image. This idea from the semester made an impact on my life, causing me to see the world outside differently than I did before. To me, this photo of Miami’s sunset during the quarantine represents another milestone completed. During this time, life has become more difficult with our constant awareness of the many lives lost. The sunset’s beauty unveils the allure that the end of the day brings. After a long day of being at home, the colors that pop out of the sky open up our eyes to the smaller things that make a difference. During these times, it becomes easier to appreciate the things that we used to simply ignore. The camera captures the light in different ways, showing the vividness of the moving pattern of colors against the stillness of the palm trees, both connecting to evoke a sensation of calmness.

I took this photo on my daily walk during quarantine. While I was strolling through Miami’s empty streets, I truly understood for the first time the concept behind Baudelaire's flâneur: a stroller who understands, participates and portrays the hidden gems of the city. As the days pass by we confront this pandemic together, working in unity to reach its end. I wonder if one of the impacts of this situation will be that people will have a bigger appreciation for the grace that nature has on our daily lives. Personally, the past and the current situation made me realize that we are continuously surrounded by “portraits” of nature, which society tends to ignore. And that is what the Impressionists were after, in the end: the beauty of the everyday. From now on, I would like to follow their nineteenth-century lead, and actively look and take in the beautiful phenomena that constantly occur in our daily lives.