I could have made a standard lighthouse travel cliché, and even framed it within a tree, but I restrained myself from doing so. Instead I went inside of this historic lighthouse and climbed to the top of the spiral staircase leading to the light itself. When I looked down, I saw this marvelous spiral form exploding into my frame like a giant snail. But to move beyond clichés, we must think about meaning, not just form for the sake of form. As I peered into the stairwell, I saw one of my photographic colleagues climbing up to join me. When she was just below me, she asked if she was intruding on my shot. I answered, “No, you just made my picture.” Her hand on the railing symbolizes a human journey that begins in light and ends in the gathering darkness at the top of the stairs, very much as in life itself. By using spot metering off the furthest and brightest part of the picture, I make the darkness rise within the image and thereby express my idea.