It’s not the swan itself that is the primary symbol here. It’s the waves of concentric circles that ripple through the water around it that provides the metaphor. I see those ripples as symbolizing a form of communication. This swan is sending out vibes, letting the world know it is there and seeking a response in return. All of us have taken, or are in the process of taking, such a journey -- relating to others, tentatively sending out feelers, testing the waters of life. The swan is also metaphorical in itself. It is an elegant bird, rich in mythological connotations, and a graceful ornament to any body of water. Its posture at the moment I made the shot was perfect – it seems to be looking directly at the circles that expand around it. It represents an explorer. The darkness in the upper left hand corner of the image works as another symbol. It suggests the world of the unknown – the perfect place to launch a voyage of discovery. My vantage point was critical. I was shooting from a bridge over a Bruges canal, positioned almost directly above the swan. I made twenty or thirty images of this swan and its colleague. This was the one that was richest in symbolic terms.