ENTRY DESCRIPTION
The Mermaid Mystery series of photographs is a representation of the often confining and narrowly defined existence of many women who realize too late that their life choices like unplanned pregnancies, insufficient or poor choices in education, and early marriage limit them to a life that is below the scope of their childhood dreams and aspirations.

A secondary theme of the photographs is that our capitalist society's trappings and accouterments also confine women to a role of looking good and costuming themselves versus spending their time on other important accomplishments that would benefit themselves, their communities, and society at large. The time and money lost to applying and buying makeup, styling hair, choosing jewelry and clothes could be so much better used in more important endeavors. Yet many women feel trapped in the cycle of spending countless hours and money into adjusting how they look. Thus, the mermaids in the images are usually surrounded (and confined) by beauty and, in my mind, seeming to be trying to find a way to escape it.

The symbol of a mermaid itself is a mythical creature that many women, both contemporary and historically, have looked at as a symbol of freedom. She can travel the oceans of the world without restraints or bonds holding her back. Going back to the song of the sirens, the mermaid has been a symbol of freedom and independence who can summon men at will with her song, and then swim away as she pleases. She symbolizes the independence and freedom that many women crave but realize too late that they may never have.

AUTHOR
I am a self taught photographer who enjoys experimenting with unusual subjects, unique perspectives, and capturing images that others may overlook. I realized my passion for photography rather late in life, overcoming my own internal voice (and the voices of others) telling me that I was too old to learn it, that it was too late. I learned that indeed it was not too late, that we can learn anything we have the will to learn no matter our stage in life. And that it was worth it, and has changed my life in remarkable ways to realize that I can capture images that will last forever and can never be duplicated.

I am always seeking something different and rare to photograph. When traveling, I seek photos of places that others may avoid. While typically one would photograph the big tourist attractions in a city, I instead look for the back alleyways, the shop windows, and the people on the street as my subjects. I enjoy creating images that have a unique perspective and illustrate the often overlooked aspects of our culture and history. I like to capture regional images when I travel that speak to the essence of the region that I am visiting.

I am a member of the National Press Photographers Association and have extensively covered events related to politics in both Washington D.C. and in Ohio. My photographs have been published internationally in more than 26 countries. I am a member of The Southeast Center for Photography, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Artist Member of the Ohio Arts Council, and I am a Shutterstock and Getty Images photo contributor.

www.christineruddy.com

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