The common understanding of freedom is the ability to do anything you
want. I think that's shallow. I could technically do anything I wanted while
growing up in the states, but that meant that so could everyone else. Every
day, every time I left the house, and every moment I might be caught off
guard was a moment I had to be cautiously aware of someone else’s freedom.
Even the animals couldn’t escape this. Before I came to Ireland, I hadn’t ever
seen an animal fully lay down in the grass unless they were injured, giving
birth, or dying. I thought it was an anomaly the first time I saw it. I asked,
“what’s wrong with them?” I took these photos because they made me feel
something at the time. Only recently have I understood what that is: Where
some places scream and pound freedom on their chest, others hold it gently,
quietly, and close to their hearts. Saoirse, here and to me, means not having
to worry. Or to be aware, always, of what might happen. To not stress or force
yourself to remain in an upright position, ready for an attack or a gaze. It is to
leisure, to laugh like nobody is watching, to relax and feel safe. Because
freedom to do something means nothing without the security to not.
Photographer Krista Hackett - Committee
Posted by Photography Soc on Sun, 08-03-2026
